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MASTER   ANDREWS. 


HISTORY  OF 


THE 


BOWDOIN  SCHOOL 

1821-1907. 


BY 

LEAH  L.  NICHOLS-WELLINGTON. 

CLASS  OF  1846. 


ILLUSTRATED. 


MANCHESTER,  N.  H. 

THE  RUEMELY  PRESS. 
19  12. 


TO   THE   MEMORY   OF   THE   TEACHERS   AND    PUPILS 
OF   THE   BOWDOIN    SCHOOL, 

WHO    HAVE   PASSED   TO   THE    HIGHEST   SCHOOL, 

WITH   GRATEFUL   REMEMBRANCE   OF   WHAT 

THEIR    LIFE   WORK   ACCOMPLISHED, 

THIS   HISTORY    IS    DEDICATED   BY   THE   AUTHOR. 

TO  THE  PRESENT  CORPS  OF  TEACHERS, 
AND  TO  THE  ALUMNAE, 

SCATTERED   "AFAR,  BUT    NOT   APART," 

SHE   SENDS   LOVING   GREETINGS. 

AT   THE   YEARLY    REUNIONS,  SOME   WILL   BE   MISSING,  BUT, 

"  'Twill  be  sweet,  as  year  by  year,  we  lose 
Friends  out  of  sight,  in  faith  to  muse, 
How  grows  in  Paradise  our  store." 


PREFACE. 

When  this  work  was  commenced,  the  thought  was  to 
make  a  slight  sketch  of  the  first  quarter  of  a  century  of  the 
Bowdoin  School,  which  ended  in  1846,  and  would  interest 
the  oldest  graduates,  by  refreshing  their  memories  of 
school-days,  and  enlighten  the  latest  graduates,  by  showing 
them  the  vast  difference  between  the  old  and  the  new.  As 
this  method  left  fully  a  third  of  the  administration  of 
Masters  Andrews  and  Robinson  untold,  the  work  was  con- 
tinued to  1871,  a  half-century;  then,  an  earnest  request 
from  the  graduates  of  the  last  thirty-six  years,  has  caused 
the  continuance  of  the  work  to  1906,  June  25,  the  day  of 
the  last  graduation. 

Many  serious  difficulties  were  met  with;  the  first,  it 
was  almost  impossible  to  find  out  about  the  school  during 
its  first  ten  years,  when  boys  attended;  the  second,  there 
are  no  records  of  the  school  earlier  than  1854;  the  third, 
at  least  a  third,  and  the  most  trying  part  of  the  work,  was 
hunting  up  information,  so  that  pictures  of  the  principals 
could  be  used  in  illustrating  the  book. 

I  thank  many  of  the  graduates  for  the  interesting  ma- 
terial they  sent  in.  No  names  have  been  given,  except  to 
valedictories  and  poems.  Miss  Sarah  E.  Adams,  Class  '46, 
and  Miss  Fannie  B.  Gridley,  Class  '66,  gave  me  much  as- 
sistance; also  Mrs.  Hannum  of  Cambridge,  Mrs.  Emerson 
of  Milton,  Mrs.  Hutchins  of  Memphis,  Tenn.,  none  of  them 
connected  with  the  Bowdoin  School  in  any  way,  gave  me 
much  and  important  help.  I  also  extend  thanks  to  Mr. 
Alonzo  Meserve,  principal,  Miss  S.  Frances  Perry,  and  es- 
pecially to    Miss  Eudora  E.  W.  Pitcher,  teachers,  in  the 

Bowdoin. 

L.  N.  W. 

March  i,  1907. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER.  PAGE. 

I.    Boston  Schools  to  1821 1 

II.     Derne-Street  Building 7 

III.  Studies  and  Discipline 12 

IV.  Arrangement  of  Classes 16 

V.     Masters  Andrews  and  Robinson 19 

VI.    Attendance 25 

VII.    Anecdotes  and  Valedictory,  1840 28 

VIII.     Funeral  of  President  Harrison 35 

IX.    School  Life  in  1846 41 

X.    Graduation  of  1846 44 

XI.     Removal  to  Masonic  Temple 55 

XII.    Introduction  of  Cochituate  Water 60 

XIII.  Reminiscences 68 

XIV.  Incidents  and  Valedictory  of  1865 77 

XV.     City  Medals,  Reunion  of  1873 85 

XVI.     School-Life  From  1880  to  1889 93 

XVII.    Dedication  of  New  Building 99 

XVIII.     Comparison  of  Old  and  New  Methods 110 

XIX.    Sketches  of  Masters 117 

XX.     Sketches  of  Masters  and  Boys 125 

XXI.     Sketches  of  Teachers  and  Pupils 133 

XXII.     Sketches  of  Teachers  and  Pupils 142 

XXIII.    Alumnae  Association;  Graduation  of  1906 152 

Poem— "To  Our  Alma  Mater." 158 

List  of  Gifts  to  the  School 161 

List  of  Teachers 162 

List  of  the  Boys  of  1812 165 

List  of  Franklin  Medal  Pupils 166 

List  of  City  Medal  Pupils 169 

Partial  List  of  Graduates 176 


A   SIMPLE    GREETING   SONG. 


Tune — "Murmur  Gentle  Lyre." — Loiuell  Mason. 

Recall  Bowdoin  School  days, 
We  went  hand  in  hand, 

Seeking  Learning's  fair  ways, 
Happy,  earnest  band  ! 


Greeting,  kindly  greeting,  for  all  gathered  here; 

Fill  the  moments  fleeting,  with  true,  gladsome  cheer. 

Rapidly  the  time  passed, 

Studies  blent  with  play; 
Gladly  performed  each  task, 

Teachers  to  obey. — Chorus. 

When  school  hours  were  ended, 

With  fun,  shout  and  glee, 
Homeward  each  one  wended, 

Joyous  to  be  free. — Chorus. 

When  we  passed  our  school  days, 

Our  life  work  we  sought, 
Tried  to  prove  in  all  ways, 

For  the  Truth  we  wrought. — Chorus. 

May  Bowdoin's  beacon  ray. 

Be  a  guiding  star, 
Pointing  to  the  true  way, 

Lest  we  stray  afar. — Chorus. 

When  we've  dropped  life's  passions, 

At  our  Master's  call, 
In  His  many  mansions, 

Be  we,  gathered,  all. — Chorus. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BOWDOIN  SCHOOL 


CHAPTER   I. 


THIS  history  commences  with  an  account  of  the  Boston 
Public  Schools,  before  Boston  became  a  city.  The 
Eliot^School  is  the  oldest  grammar  school;  it  was  founded 
in  1713,  at  North  Bennett  street;  it  was  also  the  first 
school  where  the  reading  and  writing  departments  were  in 
the  same  building.  The  second  school,  Franklin,  on  Wash- 
ington street,  was  built  in  1717. 

In  a  town  meeting  held  October  20,  1789,  the  first 
school-committee  was  appointed  and  organized  as  a  school- 
board.  Schools  had  been  started  and  conducted  in  various 
districts  of  the  town,  with  no  special  laws  concerning  them 
collectively.  The  various  committees,  annually  elected, 
having  full  powers.  The  school  board  was  always  formed  of 
men  of  the  best  minds  and  education  and  generally  of  wealth, 
willing  that  money  should  be  spent  liberally  for  the  best  good 
of  the  schools,  as  the  people  of  those  days  understood  what 
would  be  for  the  best  for  the  education  of  their  children;  they 
visited  the  schools  frequently,  keeping  themselves  well  in- 
formed of  the  smallest  as  well  as  the  largest  details. 

In  1792  an  attempt  was  made  to  change  the  methods 
of  studies  in  the  schools.  Four  mercantile  gentlemen  peti- 
tioned for  "more  arithmetic  and  writing  and  less  of  other 


I  HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL 

studies  for  the  boys."  The  masters,  by  the  order  of  the  com- 
mittee, met  the  four  petitioners,  who  reported:  "We  are 
satisfied  with  the  explanation  of  the  masters,"  and  the  old 
method  was  continued.  The  subject  of  the  kind  and  quan- 
tity of  work  to  be  done  in  the  schools  was  often  debated  by 
the  committee  and  slight  changes  were  made  about  every 
two  years.    Girls  were  admitted  into  public  schools  in  1789. 

In  1790  Benjamin  Franklin,  who  for  a  short  time  at- 
tended the  Boston  Latin  school  a  little  more  than  a  cen- 
tury before,  died,  leaving  a  sum  of  money  to  Boston;  he 
remembered  with  gratitude  those  two  years  of  instruction. 
His  will  states:  "I  was  born  in  Boston,  New  England,  and 
owe  my  first  instruction  in  literature  to  the  free  gram- 
mar schools  established  there;  I,  therefore,  give  one  hun- 
dred pounds  sterling  to  my  executors  to  be  by  them,  the 
survivors  or  survivor  of  them,  paid  over  to  the  managers  or 
directors  of  the  free  schools  of  my  native  town  of  Boston, 
to  be  by  them  or  those  persons  or  person  who  shall  have 
superintendence  of  the  said  schools,  put  out  to  interest  for- 
ever, which  interest  shall  be  laid  out  in  six  silver  medals 
and  given  as  honorary  rewards  annually  by  the  directors  of 
said  free  schools,  belonging  to  the  said  town,  for  the  en- 
couragement of  scholarship,  in  such  a  manner  as  the  dis- 
cretion of  the  selectmen  of  said  town  shall  deem  meet." 
In  1792  the  first  medals  were  given  out.  In  reading  the 
will,  one  notices  that  the  word  boys  is  not  used;  the  money 
was  left  for  "the  encouragement  of  scholarship"  in  the 
free  schools.  At  first,  medals  were  given  only  to  boys, 
but  in  a  few  years  parents  and  committee  felt  that  girls, 
as  well  as  their  brothers,  should  be  recompensed  for  good 
scholarship.  Medals  for  boys  are  called  "Franklin  Medals," 
and  those  for  girls,  "City  Medals." 

In  1800  there  were  six  public  grammar  schools,  three 
for  girls  and  three  for  boys  in  the  town. 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL  6 

Sometime  before  1815  the  system  of  two  principals, 
with  equal  power,  had  been  started;  part  of  the  boys  at- 
tended the  reading  department  mornings,  while  the  other 
part  attended  the  writing  department,  for  one  week;  the 
next  week  they  exchanged,  thus  alternating  during  the 
school  year.  This  was  necessary  on  account  of  the  two 
half-holidays  each  week,  which  were  at  first  Thursday, 
afterwards  Wednesday  and  Saturday  afternoons. 

The  school  hours  were  from  7:30  until  11  a.  m.  and 
from  2  to  5  p.  m.,  from  the  third  day  of  April  until  the 
third  day  of  October;  then  from  8:30  to  12  m.  and  from 
2  to  4:30  p.  m.,  from  the  third  day  of  October  to  the  third 
day  of  April.  Holidays  were  Fast,  Thankgiving,  first 
Monday  in  June,  election  day,  Fourth  of  July,  Christmas 
and  general  training  days,  when  masters  and  ushers  were 
obliged  to  attend  military  duty.  School  was  opened  each 
day  by  the  masters  reading  a  passage  of  Scripture  and 
leading  in  prayer,  and  closed  in  a  similar  manner. 

In  this  year  the  committee  order,  that  "females  be  in- 
structed to  write  a  larger  hand." 

In  181 5  there  was  a  legal  meeting  of  the  inhabitants 
of  Boston,  held  in  Faneuil  Hall.  The  town  proceeded  to 
the  choice  of  a  school  committee,  when  the  following  named 
gentlemen  were  chosen:  Rev.  Charles  Lowele,  Rev.  Hosea 
Holly,  Rev.  Samuel  Cary,  Aaron  Dexter,  M.  D.,  Thomas 
Welch,  M.  D.,  John  C.  Warren,  M.  D.,  Charles  Davis,  James 
Heard,  Jr.,  Peter  Thacher,  William  Smith,  Francis  Cliver 
and  William  Wells,  Esq.  It  was  voted  that:  "The  above 
gentlemen,  who,  conjointly  with  the  Selectmen,  are  termed 
the  School  Committee,  be  and  are  directed  to  carry  out  the 
system  of  Education  adopted  by  the  Town,  authorized  and 
empowered,  conjunctly,  to  manage  and  regulate  the  Gov- 
ernment of  the  Schools,  and  to  execute  all  the  process  re- 
lative to  the  schools  and  School  Masters,  which  the  Select- 


4  HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL 

men  and  such  Committee,  are  authorized  by  the  Laws  of 
the  Commonwealth  or  by  the  acts  of  the  Town,  to  execute." 

In  1816  all  the  masters  and  ushers  were  reappointed, 
"They  behaving  themselves  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  Com- 
mittee." The  public  examinations  and  exhibitions  were  reg- 
ulated by  a  "sub-committee,  consulting  with  the  masters." 
Each  sub-committee  took  the  public  exhibition  of  one  school 
under  their  care,  "  doing  the  best  for  the  public  good." 

Examinations  were  held  on  the  days  of  the  exhibitions, 
when  the  Franklin  medals  were  given  out.  At  the  first 
meeting  of  the  sub-committees  after  exhibition  day,  each 
master  was  given  the  opinion  of  the  committee  respecting 
the  progress  of  his  school. 

In  1817  a  petition  was  presented  from  a  number  of  in- 
habitants, who  were  engaged  in  superintending  and  sup- 
porting Sunday  schools:  "For  the  instruction  and  discipline 
of  such  children  as  would  otherwise  be  idle,  and  wasting 
their  time  on  the  streets"  for  the  use  of  the  public  school 
buildings.  The  gentlemen  associated  for  this  purpose  were 
allowed  to  make  use  of  the  school  houses  in  School  and 
Mason  streets,  from  8  to  10  a.  m.,  and  from  1  to 
1.30  p.  m.,  on  Sundays;  the  masters  were  to  deliver  the 
keys  to  any  one  appointed  by  the  gentlemen  to  take  charge 
of  the  schools. 

In  1819  it  was  decided  that  "boys  would  attend  the  year 
round  and  girls  from  the  twentieth  of  April  until  the 
twentieth  of  October  and  they  could  attend  the  schools 
alternately  at  such  times  and  subject  to  such  changes  as 
the  visiting  committee,  with  the  masters,  shall  approve." 
"The  masters  and  ushers  of  the  reading  and  writing  schools 
were  continued  in  their  stations — they  having  behaved 
themselves  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  Committee." 

The  salaries  of  the  masters  were  to  be  $1,000  with  the 
grant  of  $200;   the  salaries  of  the  ushers  were  $500  with  a 


HISTORY   OF   THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL  5 

grant  of  $100.  In  1800  the  salaries  for  the  masters  had 
been  $600  with  #200  grant,  and  that  of  the  ushers  $300 
with  $100  grant.  No  explanation  could  be  found  why  a 
set  salary  was  not  given;  it  might  have  been  the  grant  was 
a  contingent  one,  depending  upon  the  quality  of  the  in- 
structor's work,  or  to  insure  their  remaining  the  whole 
year. 

The  chairman  of  each  sub-committee  was  asked  to 
make  inquiries  respecting  the  perquisites  of  the  instructors 
from  private  tuition  and  the  hours  they  devoted  to  their 
pupils.  As  a  result  of  the  inquiries,  it  was  decided:  "No 
master  or  usher  of  the  public  schools  can,  after  1819,  keep 
private  schools,  of  any  description,  earlier  than  six  o'clock 
in  the  evening  and  that  any  master  or  usher  violating  this 
regulation,  should  be  considered  to  have  vacated  his  office." 

In  this  year,  18 19,  twenty-five  fire  buckets  were  placed 
in  each  of  the  front  entries  of  six  schools  of  the  town  to  be 
"kept  for  the  public  benefit." 

In  this  year  the  South  reading  and  writing  schools 
were  united  and  given  the  name  of  Franklin;  one  of  these 
was  the  Franklin,  founded  in  1717.  Mr.  James  Robinson 
was  appointed  usher. 

April  25th,  1820,  a  committee  was  chosen  to  report 
upon  the  site  for  a  new  school  house,  later  a  committee  was 
chosen  "to  obtain  on  the  best  possible  terms,  the  land  that 
may  be  wanted  in  addition  to  that  now  owned  by  the 
Town,  and  contract,  and  erect  a  new  school  house,  in  con- 
formity with  the  Report  of  the  Committee  and  the  vote  of 
the  Town  on  that  subject.  Gentlemen  chosen:  Mr.  Jona- 
than Loring,  Samuel  A.  Wells,  Henry  J.  Cliver,  Messrs. 
Williams  and  Childs." 

In  1821  Boston  became  a  city;  in  that  year  the  Bowdoin 
School  was  started  for  boys  primarily,  but  girls  were  admit- 
ted from  the  first  on  half-time.     Medals  were  voted  to  girls. 


6  HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL 

The  first  English  High  School  was  started  for  boys,  (in 
182 1)  who  occupied  the  upper  story  of  the  new  Derne-Street 
building;  while  a  building  was  being  erected  for  them  on 
Pinckney  Street.  In  this  year  James  Robinson's  Elements 
of  Arithmetic  by  questions  and  answers  were  introduced 
into  the  third  and  fourth  classes  of  the  public  schools. 
Mr.  Warren  Pierce,  Preceptor  of  Milton  Academy,  was 
elected  master,  and  Samuel  Adams  usher  of  the  reading 
department;  Mr.  John  Belcher  was  elected  master  and  Mr. 
Barnabas  Whitney  usher  of  the  writing  department  of  the 
new  school,  called  Derne-Street  school.  Mr.  Pierce  died 
the  first  year  and  Mr.  Abraham  Andrews,  who  had  been 
conducting  a  private  school  in  Charlestown,  succeeded  him. 
Derne  street  was  named  after  the  city  of  Derne,  which  was 
"stormed  in  1805  by  General  Eaton  at  the  head  of  nine 
Americans,  forty  Greeks  and  a  motley  array  of  Turks  and 
Arabs,  and  which  was  one  of  those  feats  of  hardihood  and 
daring  which  have  in  all  ages  attracted  the  admiration  of 
the  multitude."  By  this  deed  many  American  and  English 
sailors  were  freed  after  years  of  terrible  sufferings  as  slaves 
to  the  Moors. 


CHAPTER   II. 


The  name  of  the  first  building  of  the  Derne-Street 
School  was  changed,  May  nth,  1824,  by  the  committee,  to 
Bowdoin,  in  honor  of  Governor  Bowdoin.  It  was  on  the 
south  west  corner  of  Temple  and  Derne  streets,  fronting 
the  latter,  and  was  three  stories  high  above  the  basement,  the 
latter  being  much  higher  on  Derne  street  than  on  the  back, 
on  account  of  the  steep  slope  of  Temple  street.  There 
were  seven  large  windows  the  length  of  the  building  on 
both  sides,  and  on  the  front  there  were  three;  the  building 
was  a  little  less  than  three-fifths  as  wide  as  long.  Looking 
up  Temple  street  the  dome  of  the  State  House  could  be 
seen  on  the  top  of  Beacon  Hill,  but  at  that  time  the  dome 
was  not  golden  as  now,  glittering  in  the  sun. 

The  main  entrance  of  the  building  was  in  the  centre 
of  the  Derne  street  front,  facing  Derne  street  at  the  left;  cor- 
ner of  Temple  and  Derne  streets  was  "a  watch-house  for  the 
detention  of  people  taken  up  in  the  night;"  at  the  right  of 
the  main  entrance  was  an  engine  room,  Engine  No.  6, 
Hero.  The  main  entrance  was  not  used  for  daily  school 
purposes;  it  was  supposed  to  be  for  exhibition  days  and 
visitors,  but  none  of  the  oldest  graduates,  whom  I  have  met, 
can  recall  seeing  it  used  on  any  such  occasions.  One  of 
the  oldest,  if  not,  the  oldest  graduate  now  living,  who  attend- 
ed the  school  from  1825  to  1829,  said  that  the  boys'  entrance 
was  on  Derne  street  and  they  had  a  separate  flight  of  stairs 
from  the  girls,  who  always  entered  from  Temple  street. 
Since  1830  all  graduates  seem  to  agree  that  they  never  saw 
the  main  entrance  used  on  exhibition  days,  and  there  was  no 
visible  connection  between  it  and  the  stairs  leading  to  the 

7 


8  HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL 

school  rooms.  The  school  records  give  "1830,  an  altera- 
tion in  the  Bowdoin  building,  made  according  to  plans, 
subject  to  change  by  Council."  As  it  was  in  1830  that  the 
boys  were  sent  to  the  Mayhew  and  Mason  schools,  the 
alterations  probably  took  away  the  extra  flight  of  stairs. 

The  two  large  rooms  were  very  large  and  well  lighted; 
those  on  one  side,  overlooking  Temple  street,  on  the 
opposite  side  overlooking  a  large  play-ground,  nicely  paved, 
with  a  brick-walk  around  a  centre  plot  of  grass,  in  which 
was  a  wooden  pump  with  its  tin  dippers,  the  whole  sur- 
rounded by  a  high  brick  wall,  with  a  stone  caping.  At  the 
end  of  the  rooms,  there  were  three  windows  overlooking 
Derne  street.  There  were  no  toilet  rooms,  no  recitation 
rooms.  Each  room  was  heated  by  an  immense  grate  for 
coal  in  the  middle  of  the  entrance  end,  and  in  one  corner  of 
the  opposite  end  a  very  large  stove  of  cast  and  sheet  iron, 
reaching  perhaps  within  two  feet  of  the  ceiling,  well  sur- 
rounded by  high  zinc  lined  boards,  making  a  small  room. 

I  never  saw  a  janitor  around  the  building;  but  upon 
the  school  records  of  Boston  found  this  item:  "September 
12,  1830,  the  sub-committee  of  the  girls'  schools  were 
authorized  to  procure  suitable  persons  to  make  the  fires 
during  the  season  for  them  and  at  the  public  expense."  It 
must  have  required  a  large  amount  of  coal  to  be  daily  car- 
ried over  two  or  three  flights  of  stairs,  long  and  steep. 

There  was  a  raised  platform  running  the  length  of  the 
room  on  one  side,  with  desks  upon  it;  the  first  desk  from 
the  entrance  door  was  a  large,  double  one,  with  a  big 
wooden  arm-chair  for  the  master  and  a  rail  on  one  side, 
giving  him  somewhat  of  an  exclusive  air;  beyond  him  were 
three  single  desks,  for  the  assistant  teachers.  On  the  op- 
posite side  of  the  room  and  on  one  end  were  seven  platforms, 
on  each  a  small  desk,  standing  on  high,  slim  legs,  overlooking 
divisions  of  pupils;  from  1838,  and  it  might  be  earlier,  when 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL  9 

monitors  were  introduced,  these  desks  (considered  honorary 
seats)  were  for  the  best  seven  scholars  of  the  highest  class, 
the  scholars  changing  monthly,  according  to  the  record- 
book.  Perhaps  the  following  extracts  from  the  school-board 
records  may  throw  some  light  upon  the  first  use  to  which 
they  were  put  and  also  in  some  degree  explain  the  second 
system  of  teachers,  called  monitorial,  used  in  the  public 
schools:  "February  12,  1828.  Decided  that  when  ushers 
resign,  their  places  should  not  be  filled,  and  an  extra  pay 
given  to  the  master  who  decides  to  go  on  without  an  usher." 
February  28. — That  the  mutual  or  monitorial  method  be 
tried  in  two  schools.  The  Boylston  boys'  school  and  the 
Bowdoin  girls'  school  were  selected  for  the  experiment,  also 
money  was  appropriated  to  make  some  necessary  alterations. 

There  were  four  divisions  of  seats  for  the  pupils,  eight 
rows  with  seven  seats  to  a  row;  the  desks  were  long  ones, 
extending  across  each  row,  divided  by  partitions  into  seven 
spaces,  and  did  not  have  covers  that  could  be  raised,  but  were 
simply  open  on  the  front,  next  to  the  pupils.  At  first  the 
seats  were  simply  circular  stools,  without  backs,  fastened 
to  the  floor;  in  1835  backs  were  provided. 

It  was  at  the  beginning  of  the  school  year,  September, 
1829,  that  Misses  Mary  A.  Murdock  and  Elizabeth  Lincoln, 
medal  graduates  in  1828,  were  elected  teachers,  at  $50  per 
year.  I  could  find  no  definite  description  of  the  monitorial 
system,  nor  when  it  ceased,  but  a  general  idea,  gathered 
from  the  records  of  the  debate  of  the  School  Board,  seemed 
to  indicate  that  it  was  used  effectively  in  the  schools  of 
some  other  city,  and  that  it  would  be  well  for  the  city  of 
Boston  to  use  economy  in  her  expenditures,  and  here  was 
a  great  opportunity  to  try  an  experiment,  successful  else- 
where; so  it  was  voted  to  try  the  experiment,  but  by  the 
caution  of  some  of  the  Board,  it  was  to  be  tried  only  in  two 
sehools.    So  instead  of  electing  teachers  at  a  fair  salary,  two 


10  HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL 

were  chosen  for  the  Bowdoin,  who,  seated  at  the  before 
mentioned  small  desks,  could  oversee  the  pupils,  while  the 
teachers  were  attending  to  the  recitations. 

The  desks  of  teachers  and  pupils  were  plain  wood, 
painted  a  dark  green,  the  chairs  for  visitors  and  teachers 
were  plain  wooden  ones,  such  as  are  now  called  kitchen 
chairs;  in  the  writing-room,  on  the  wall,  in  one  corner,  was 
a  small  black-board;  in  the  reading-room,  was  a  movable 
one,  about  three  feet  square;  the  walls  of  the  rooms  were 
simply  whitewashed. 

In  1844,  alterations  were  made  in  the  building,  during 
the  summer  vacation,  which  lasted  six  weeks,  instead  of  the 
usual  three  weeks.  The  addition  made  to  the  building 
took  a  large  piece  of  the  play-ground,  where  the  entrance 
from  Temple  street  was.  A  small  square  room  at  the 
right  of  the  fire  place  was  added  to  the  writing-room, 
overlooking  the  play-yard.  At  the  left  of  the  fire  place  in 
the  reading-room,  was  another  square  room  overlooking 
Temple  street.  Long,  narrow  wooden  benches,  fastened 
to  the  walls  surrounding  three  sides  of  these  rooms,  and  a 
small  table  and  chairs,  constituted  the  furniture.  There 
was  a  little  flurry  of  excitement  when  a  tiny,  cheap  mirror 
was  discovered  one  morning,  hanging  upon  the  wall  of  the 
reading  recitation-room. 

In  the  writing  recitation-room,  on  the  side  overlooking 
the  stairway,  was  a  small  square  window,  so  whoever  passed 
down  from  the  reading  room,  could  see  into  the  room,  and 
it  was  quite  amusing  to  the  pupils  who  might  be  in  the 
room,  whenever  Master  Andrews  passed  and  looked  in,  for 
as  he  had  a  large  head,  his  face  about  filled  the  window 
frame.  An  extra  room  had  been  fitted  up  in  the  basement 
over  which  Miss  Murdock  presided.  There  were  no 
arrangements  for  garments,  and  they  continued  to  be  hung 
on  three  tiers  of  hooks,  between  the  windows  around  the 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL  11 

room.  Umbrellas  were  hung  with  the  garments  and  over- 
shoes of  rubber-gum  lay  on  the  floor  beneath.  As  there  were 
two  hundred  and  thirty  pupils  and  teachers  in  each  room, 
there  would  be,  on  stormy  days,  an  unpleasant  scent  from 
the  damp  clothing  and  a  feeling  of  moisture  in  the  air. 

This  particular  description  has  been  given,  for  the 
benefit  of  the  graduates  of  the  last  half  century,  that  they 
may  see  the  difference  betwixt  the  "old"  and  the  "new." 
The  new  has  given  them  large  reception  halls,  recitation- 
rooms,  toilet  rooms,  plenty  of  space  around  the  teacher's 
desk,  wide  cosy  stairways  and  the  many  conveniences  for 
heating,  lighting,  thorough  ventilation,  etc.,  that  the  scien- 
tific minds  have  evolved  during  the  last  half-century.  Do 
they  realize  their  advantages  as  to  accommodations  over  the 
graduates  of  long,  long  ago  ? 


CHAPTER   III. 


The  result  desired  by  the  course  of  studies  which  was 
pursued  in  the  grammar  schools  was,  that  at  the  end  of  a 
seven  years'  course,  "the  graduating  pupils  could  read  Eng- 
lish prose  and  poetry  well;  could  write  a  good  hand;  know 
the  rule  and  processes  of  arithmetic,  modern  geography,  and 
have  some  knowledge  of  ancient  and  modern  countries;  know 
English  grammar,  its  rules  and  principles,  and  could  write 
a  composition  correctly  from  this  knowledge."  In  some 
schools,  and  Bowdoin  was  one  of  them,  "rhetoric,  natural 
philosophy,  ancient  and  modern  history,  geometry,  algebra 
and  physical  science  were  allowed,"  masters  teaching  them 
to  their  liking. 

Master  Andrews  taught  Blair's  Rhetoric,  Worcester's 
Ancient  and  Modern  History  and  Smellie's  Natural  Phil- 
osophy; Master  Robinson  taught  Bailey's  Algebra  and  Geom- 
etry and  Parker's  Physical  Science;  both  masters  seemed 
to  have  had  a  liking  for  all  the  allowed  studies,  evidently 
gladly  doing  the  extra  work  they  entailed. 

In  1822  there  were  280  boys,  with  a  daily  average  of 
235,  and  255  girls,  with  a  daily  average  of  220,  in  the  Bow- 
doin school. 

In  September,  1825,  Mr. James  Robinson  succeeded  Mr. 
Belcher,  who  resigned,  as  principal  of  the  Bowdoin  School. 

In  1828,  the  school-board  decided  that  "having  taken  a 
degree  of  A.  B.  at  some  respectable  college,  duly  incorpo- 
ted  and  authorized  to  give  degrees,  be  considered  as  a  nec- 
essary qualification  in  the  masters  and  ushers  of  the  gram- 
mar schools." 

June  3d,  1829,  "Girls  can  remain  the  whole  year,"  and 
on  June  15,  "girls  can  remain  until  fifteen  years  of  age." 

12 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL  13 

In  August,  1830,  that  "when  there  was  a  difference  of 
opinion  between  the  reading  and  writing  masters,  the  read- 
ing master  was  the  'head'  master,  and  his  decision  was 
paramount."  Previous  to  this,  the  reading  and  writing 
masters  were  considered  two  distinct  heads,  each  in  abso- 
lute control  of  his  department  and,  of  course,  each  formu- 
lated and  enforced  his  own  rules.  In  the  Bowdoin  School, 
although  the  temperaments  of  the  two  masters  were  widely 
different,  yet,  so  far  as  the  pupils  could  see,  there  was  never 
any  unpleasantness  between  them.  They  taught  in  har- 
mony for  twenty-nine  years. 

In  1830  the  boys  were  transferred  to  Mason  and  Haw- 
kins streets'  schools. 

It  is  to  be  regretted  that  so  little  could  be  ascertained 
about  the  boys  who  attended  the  Bowdoin  School  the  first 
nine  years  of  its  existence;  nothing  is  known  about  their 
studies  or  their  sports  or  their  opinions  of  their  instructors. 
The  boys  who  fitted  for  the  Latin  School,  entered  it  gen- 
erally when  ten  years  of  age,  presumably  the  others 
remained  in  the  Bowdoin  until  thirteen  or  fourteen.  When 
one  reflects,  that  the  latest  boys  who  attended  the  schools, 
if  now  living  would  be  from  eighty-five  to  ninety  years  old, 
it  cannot  be  expected  that  many  are  now  living,  and  prob- 
ably several  of  them  may  have  made  their  homes  long 
distances  from  their  childhood's  homes,  and  have  passed 
entirely  beyond  the  reach,  if  not  out  of  the  minds,  of  their 
schoolmates. 

One  of  their  sports  was  an  occasional  raiding  of  the 
flower  gardens  and  orchards,  which,  during  the  first  half  of 
the  nineteenth  century,  surrounded  so  many  of  the  houses 
of  the  city.  There  was  one  sport  which  the  boys  of  those 
days  enjoyed  of  which  the  boys  of  to-day  know  nothing, 
that  was  running  to  fires  with  the  hand  engine,  pumping 
the  engines  by  means  of  the  rails,  running  along  the  length 


14  HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL 

of  the  machine  on  each  side;  passing  along  the  buckets 
filled  with  water  in  a  lively  fashion.  When  at  night  an 
alarm  was  sounded,  there  was  no  veteran  fireman  who  was 
more  speedily  equipped,  than  his  own  boys. 

Those  buckets  were  shaped  like  a  barrel  with  the  up- 
per third  cut  off;  they  were  of  leather,  three-quarters  of  an 
inch  in  thickness  and  bound  at  the  top  with  leather  and 
the  handles  were  thick,  round  and  also  of  leather.  They 
were  hung  in  houses  near  some  outside  door,  and  every 
man,  as  he  went  out  to  a  fire,  would  take  his  bucket,  as 
those  hanging  on  the  rails  of  the  machine,  when  it  was 
not  working,  would  not  have  sufficed  in  case  of  a  large  fire. 

This  explains  an  order  by  the  selectmen,  before  men- 
tioned, that  fire  buckets  must  be  hung  in  school-house 
entries. 

The  following  anecdote  was  sent  by  one  of  the  boy 
graduates:  "I  remember  one  day  in  the  Derne-Street  school, 
Master  Andrews  discovered  that  a  scholar  was  chewing. 
He  demanded  to  know  what  was  being  chewed;  after  some 
hesitation,  hawing,  and  sniffling,  the  information  was 
vouchsafed  that  the  boy  had  a  piece  of  black  liquorice. 
Master  Andrews  asked  sternly  where  the  stuff  was  obtained. 
The  guilty  youth  named  another  boy  as  having  presented 
it  to  him;  both  boys  were  ordered  to  take  the  liquorice  to  the 
desk  and  leave  it.  The  command  was  then  delivered,  that 
any  scholar  who  had  anything  to  chew,  should  march  up 
and  unload.  Nearly  every  pupil  in  the  establishment 
responded  and  there  was  left  a  pile,  a  mass,  of  black  liquorice, 
weighing  several  pounds.  By  way  of  explanation,  it  may 
be  stated  that  there  had  been  a  fire  in  Rev.  Lyman 
Beecher's  church  on  Hanover  street,  in  the  basement  of 
which  a  quantity  of  the  chewing  material  had  been  stored 
and  during  the  progress  of  the  fire  the  boys  had  confiscated 
the  whole  of  it." 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL  15 

As  it  was  impossible  to  obtain  a  valedictory  for  the 
decade  of  182 1  to  1831,  the  following  composition  is  given; 
"Humility.  Humility  is  one  of  those  qualities  of  Chris- 
tianity which  requires  a  perpetual  and  practical  exercise. 
It  does  not  insist  that  we  shall  be  every  moment  engaged 
in  acts  of  benevolence  or  mortification  to  ourselves;  but 
whether  we  communicate  our  good  thoughts  to  others,  or 
are  dependent  on  others  for  the  communication  to  our- 
selves, humility  is  required  as  the  invariable,  the  indispen- 
sable, the  habitual  grace  in  the  life  of  a  Christian."  Emory 
Souther  about  twelve  years  of  age.  Mr.  Souther  said,  "Mr. 
Andrews  was  a  model  master,  kind  and  pleasant  to  all;  Mr. 
Adams  the  usher  was  a  contrast  to  him." 

One  day  in  the  early  thirties,  there  was  a  very  strong 
smell  of  something  burning;  on  investigation  a  basket  of 
burning  paper  was  found  under  one  of  the  stairways.  If  the 
wood-work  had  caught  fire,  the  chance  of  getting  nearly  five 
hundred  children  safely  down  two  flights  of  narrow,  steep 
stairs,  at  the  bottom  of  which  was  a  single  door  opening 
inward,  would  have  been  slight. 


CHAPTER   IV. 


Looking  backward  and  recalling  the  order  and  quiet- 
ness that  were  maintained  in  the  old  school  building  it 
seems  marvelous;  yes,  it  was  marvelous.  The  recitations 
of  the  four  divisions  were  carried  on  simultaneously;  some- 
times a  number  of  pupils  would  be  standing  around  a 
teacher's  desk  reciting,  at  the  next  division  of  pupils  the 
teacher  would  be  standing  in  the  midst  of  it  making  general 
explanations,  and  the  master,  as  was  the  custom  of  both 
masters,  would  be  walking  around  his  division  giving  instruc- 
tion. Whichever  way  the  classes  were  being  conducted, 
there  were  four  teachers  asking  questions,  and  four  pupils 
answering  them,  all  at  the  same  time,  but  there  never 
seemed  to  be  any  confusion.  Each  teacher  attended  to  the 
order  of  her  class;  occasionally  a  child  would  be  sent  up  to 
the  master's  desk. 

Sometimes  with  the  four  recitations  proceeding  in  this 
manner  and  the  remainder  of  230  pupils  studying,a  humming 
noise  was  inevitable.  At  the  ring  of  the  master's  bell 
everything  would  become  absolutely  still;  the  silence  was 
really  impressive,  then  the  master  would  often  say,  "I  think 
we  could  hear  a  pin  drop."  Another  touch  of  the  bell  and 
work  would  be  resumed. 

The  teachers  were  very  mild  in  their  punishments;  I 
never  saw  the  ruler  used  excepting  in  a  playful  manner,  by 
the  masters.  That  would  make  a  girl  of  spirit  feel  more 
ashamed  and  more  hurt,  than  if  two  or  three  sharp  blows 
had  been  given. 

One  of  the  early  graduates  writes.  "  Do  you  remember 
how  the  teachers  used  to  send  up  to  the  master  any  pupil 
who  committed  some  small  fault  ?     I  remember  being  sent 

16 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL  17 

up  from  the  lowest  class  and  creeping  along  the  aisle  at  the 
back  of  the  classes,  to  get  in  line  with  some  other  delin- 
quents and  standing  there  until  we  were  called,  one  at  a 
time,  to  the  master's  desk,  such  a  long  walk,  past  the  large 
scholars,  past  the  old  fire  place,  up  to  the  desk  where  we 
had  to  confess  our  fault,  but  Mr.  Robinson  was  not  very- 
severe. "  Another  early  graduate  sent  the  following  ac- 
count: "I  have  forgotten  about  most  of  my  old  teachers 
at  dear  old  Bowdoin,  but  one  I  remember;  she  would  prob- 
ably have  slipped  from  my  memory,  but  for  a  kind  thing 
she  did  to  me.  I  had  done  something  wrong  (probably 
talking)  and  as  I  looked  up  and  caught  her  eye,  she  shook 
her  head  at  me.  She  might  have  told  me  to  stand  upon 
my  seat,  which  was  the  common  punishment  in  those  days 
and  a  severe  one  for  sensitive  souls,  for  that  brought  the 
child  into  the  view  of  the  entire  school  of  four  times  fifty 
scholars  besides  the  teachers."  This  writer  also  adds:  "In 
a  'Boston  Game  giving  Leading  Facts  about  Boston,'  this 
was  asked,  'What  massive  structure  stood  back  of  the  State 
House  from  1849  to  1884?'  Answer,  'Beacon  Hill  Reser- 
voir.' I  wonder  why  the  ancient  history  was  not  carried 
still  farther  back  by  the  question:  'What  celebrated  school 
stood  on  the  spot  before  the  reservoir,  from  1821  to  1848?' 
Answer,  'Derne  Street  School  house,  afterwards  called 
Bowdoin.'  " 

One  punishment  of  Master  Andrews,  was  a  singular 
one;  when  a  girl  from  the  lower  class  was  "sent  up,"  he 
would  stand  her  in  the  very  large  coal  hod,  kept  near  the 
fireplace,  thus  placing  her  in  full  view  of  the  highest-class 
girls;  this  was  a  severe  punishment  for  the  little  girls,  as 
they  looked  up  to  the  highest-class  girls  with  great  awe. 
Those  were  the  days  of  white  "pantalettes,"  and  probably 
many  a  mother  disapproved  of  that  style  of  punishment. 
Oh,  those  white  pantalettes!      They   must   have   been   a 


18  HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL 

source  of  much  trouble  to  mothers.  They  were  white,  about 
eighteen  inches  round  and  starched  stiffly,  went  well  down 
to  the  bend  of  the  ankle;  many  children  took  some  pride 
in  the  stiffness,  as,  when  walking,  they  struck  together  and 
made  a  rustling  sound.  Some  people  of  to-day  can  well 
sympathize  with  this,  as  many  a  "grown-up"  girl  is  pleased 
with  the  sound  from  a  rustling  silk  underskirt.  Even  on  a 
pleasant  day,  when  a  child  returned  from  school,  a  clean 
pair  must  be  donned  for  the  afternoon  session.  On  stormy 
days,  how  wet  and  bedraggled  was  the  appearance  of  the 
children  when  they  arrived  at  school!  Most  mothers  were 
careful  to  place  an  extra  pair  in  the  girls'  carpet-bags,  to 
avoid  their  sitting  for  three  hours  in  a  wet  garment.  Those 
carpet-bags,  which  outlasted  for  years  the  pantalettes,  were 
made  of  heavy  Brussels  carpet,  the  handle  also  being  of 
the  carpet.  They  were  almost  indestructible  and  had  a  lock 
and  key,  the  pride  of  the  owner.  I  used  mine  the  six  years 
I  attended  the  school,  1839  to  1846;  it  was  in  constant  use 
in  our  family  for  years;  then  my  nephew  used  it  for  a  school 
bag  and  for  many  years  it  was  called  the  library  bag,  as  it 
was  used  to  take  books,  "back  and  forth"  from  the  library. 
A  graduate  of  1862  says:  "When  the  side-walks  were  icy, 
on  the  hilly  streets  each  side  of  the  school-house,  these 
bags  were  used  as  sleds  and  the  girls  coasted  down  the 
side-walks  to  the  cross  street.  Mothers  wondered  why  those 
carpet  bags  wore  out  so  fast — they  should  have  worn  a 
lifetime." 


CHAPTER   V. 

Masters  Andrews  and  Robinson  were  as  unlike  in 
character  and  method  as  their  personal  appearance.  The 
former  was  a  large,  fleshy  man,  wearing  a  "scratch;"  slow 
in  movement,  of  a  decided  lymphatic  temperament.  He 
was  always  garbed  in  misisterial  black;  he  walked  across 
the  platform  occasionally,  with  hands  in  his  pockets,  his 
head  inclined  slightly  to  one  side  and  bent  forward;  while 
not  appearing  to  watch,  his  division  was  kept  in  perfect 
order;  his  manner  of  sitting  could  not  probably  be  seen  in 
any  public  school  room  to-day.  He  sat  at  his  desk,  tipped 
back  in  his  arm-chair,  his  hands  in  pockets  and  feet  upon  the 
rail  at  his  side.  In  dress  he  was  careless;  a  large  bandanna 
handkerchief  prominently  in  use.  A  pupil,  who  attended 
the  school  in  1831,  said:  "If  he  happened  to  be  near  a  win- 
dow at  recess,  rather  than  go  to  his  desk  for  the  bell,  he 
would  shake  his  bandanna  for  us  to  come  in,  and  I  never 
recall  Master  Andrews  without  seeing  that  bandanna  hand- 
kerchief." However,  in  those  days,  those  brilliant  hand- 
kerchiefs were  generally  used  by  business  gentlemen. 

Master  Andrews  always  called  the  girls  somewhat  ab- 
ruptly, by  their  surnames,  a  habit  probably  acquired  when 
he  taught  boys.  Yet,  in  the  best  sense,  he  was  a  gentle- 
man; kind,  considerate  of  the  feeling  of  his  pupils,  occa- 
sionally he  would  rebuke  one  of  them  with  a  not  too  severe 
sarcasam.  He  imparted  knowledge  in  so  easy  and  quiet  a 
way,  that  one  scarcely  realized  she  was  being  taught,  and 
the  large  amount  of  "  side  "  knowledge  he  gave  out,  while 
conducting  the  usual  recitations,  was  wonderful. 

Reading  and  composition  seemed  to  be  his  favorite 
studies  and  he  would  often  bcame  quite  excited,  especially 
in  teaching  reading. 

19 


20  HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL 

From  a  graduate  of  1846:  "You  remember  how  Master 
Andrews  used  to  drill  us  in  reading.  The  class  would  be 
called  to  his  desk  and  stand  around  him  for  recitations. 
•Goody  Blake  and  Harry  Gill'  must  have  been  one  of  his 
favorites;  I  can  see  him  now: 

'And  fiercely  by  the  arm  he  took  her, 

And  by  the  arm  he  held  her  fast, 
And  fiercely  by  the  arm  he  shook  her, 

And  cried,  'I  have  caught  you  then  at  last.' 

"He  used  to  shake  his  fist  and  bring  the  words  out 
through  his  clinched  teeth;  but,  he  could  not  make  any  of 
us  girls  give  expression  enough  to  the  lines.  He  said  in  his 
sarcastic  way,  'you're  afraid,  you  think  the  scholars  will 
say  you  tried?  " 

Master  Andrews  was  a  fine  English  scholar  and  it  has 
been  often  remarked  by  early  graduates  of  the  school  that 
they  owed  their  fondness  and  appreciation  of  English 
literature  to  his  instruction  and  to  the  constant  use  of 
Pierpont's  Series  of  Readers:  "The  American  First  Class 
Book,"  "The  National  Reader"  and  the  "  Introduction  to  the 
National  Reader."  He  sympathized  with  the  scholars  in 
any  attempt  they  made  to  do  extra  work.  If  a  carefully 
constructed  and  well  written  composition  was  handed  in, 
he  would  speak  of  all  the  good  points  and  gently  show 
where  in  other  places  improvement  could  be  made,  offering 
to  give  assistance  after  school-hours.  He  offered  to  aid  one 
pupil,  if  she  would  write  short  pieces  for  the  papers  and 
magazines  of  the  time.  He  said  he  would  correct  her  work 
and  attend  to  the  publishing  of  them,  in  fact  training  her 
for  what  he  thought  ought  to  be  her  life  work.  He  was 
much  disappointed,  when  her  parents  decided  she  was  too 
young,  too  delicate  to  do  the  work. 

Mr.  Robinson  was  a  slim  man  with  gray  hair,  as  early  as 
the  last  of  the  thirties  and  it  was  quite  white  in  the  late  forties 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL  21 

His  dress,  always  black,  was  immaculate.  He  held  himself 
very  erect  and  sat  at  his  desk  upon  a  high  stool.  He  rarely  if 
ever,  called  classes  to  the  desk  for  recitation,  but  walked 
around  the  division  with  a  quick,  military  step,  his  arms 
folded  and  holding  in  his  right  hand  a  short,  round,  ebony 
ruler,  which  he  used  in  ruling  his  record  book  and  the  book- 
keeping books  of  the  pupils;  the  rule  was  held  upright 
coming  to  the  top  of  his  head,  and  he  had  the  habit,  when 
he  became  earnest  in  his  explanations,  of  flicking  his  hair 
with  it,  at  the  same  time  drawing  up  his  nostrils  and  push- 
ing out  his  lips  as  if  whistling,  a  peculiar  motion  which 
gave  him  a  shrewd  look.  One  of  the  pupils,  who  was  de- 
voted to  him,  picked  up  the  stray  hair,  which  the  flicking 
of  the  ruler  loosened,  and  at  last  had  quite  a  lock  of  it. 

One  day  Master  Andrews,  watching  the  division,  ob- 
served one  of  the  pupils  inrerested  in  writing  something  at 
a  time  when  she  should  have  been  studying;  he  called  her 
to  bring  the  paper  to  him;  she  was  frightened,  because  she 
had  never  been  called  up  before.  He  took  the  paper  and 
looking  at  it,  found  it  was  an  attempt  at  poetry;  he  was 
quite  surprised  as  he  read,  commended  the  effort  and  then 
explained  her  mistakes  and  how  to  correct  them,  telling  her 
she  might  always  come  to  him  and  he  would  aid  her.  She 
has  lately  told  me  she  could  not  have  written  what  she  had 
written,  particularly  in  her  later  years,  if  he  had  not  often 
asked  her  about  her  work  and  aided  her  while  she  attended 
the  Bowdoin  Schol.  The  following  is  what  she  was  writ- 
ing when  she  was  "called  up,"  as  the  girls  expresssed  it: 

"Oh,  Slavery!  that  accused  name, 
Which  blots  the  record  book  of  fame, 
Which  stains  the  fairer  virtues  there 
And  shows  that  man,  his  brother  dare 
Injure,  insult,  torment  and  slay, 
Even  in  the  open  face  of  day. 

"Oh  Slavery's  dreadful  name  I  hate. 
And  worse,  methinks,  it  seems  of  late 


22  HISTORY   OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL 

For  men  more  civilized  have  grown, 
And  virtue's  seeds  should  sure  be  sown 
Still  deeper  in  the  heart  of  man 
Than  vicious  thoughts  and  actions  can." 

She  was  about  twelve  years  old. 

One  day  one  of  the  girls  was  called  to  the  master's 
desk  and  given  some  paper  and  sent  into  the  recitation 
room.  After  about  an  hour,  Mr.  Andrews  called  her  out. 
She  laid  the  paper  upon  his  desk  and  returned  to  her  seat. 
Of  course  her  classmates  were  curious  to  know  why  she 
was  sent  out  of  the  schoolroom,  but  she  would  not  tell  them 
and  in  answer  to  the  persistent  questioning  finally  said  that 
she  was  told  not  to  say  anything  about  it. 

He  was  very  enthusiastic  in  his  work;  very  clear  in  his 
explanation,  and  it  seemed  as  if  every  one  ought  to  under- 
stand him;  but  he  was  slightly  impatient;  if  a  pupil,  not 
understanding  him,  asked  a  question,  he  would  say:  "You've 
not  been  listening."  He  was  careful  about  the  health  of 
the  children  and  if  any  one  looked  ill,  would  speak  to  her 
about  it,  and  allow  her  to  go  home,  if  she  wished  to. 

One  winter,  there  was  a  terrific  snowstorm,  which  had 
been  raging  all  night  In  those  days  no  bells  were  rung  in 
stormy  weather,  saying  "no  school  to-day."  There  were  no 
water-proof  garments,  nor  rubber  boots  to  protect  one;  the 
only  protection  we  had,  were  the  three  and  one-half  fingers 
long,  thick,  wool  yarn,  home-knit  stockings  of  our  fathers  or 
elder  brothers,  which  were  drawn  over  our  shoes  and  stock- 
ings. Nevertheless  on  this  stormy  day,  two  of  us 
ploughed  our  way  up  to  the  school,  where  we  arrived  late, 
for  it  had  been  terrible  work  plodding  along  against  the 
wind  and  thickly  falling  snow;  side-walks  were  not  ploughed 
clean  by  large  snow  ploughs  and  shovels  as  now.  We 
found  only  about  a  dozen  children,  who  lived  near  the 
school,  and  Master  Robinson.  There  was  no  way  for 
Master  Andrews  to  get  from  Charlestown;  no  pair  of  horses 


HISTORY   OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL  23 

could  have  drawn  a  filled  omnibus  any  distance.  After 
seeing  that  the  other  children  were  nicely  wrapped  up, 
Master  Robinson  started  them  home;  then  he  helped  us  to 
dry  our  shoes  and  coats,  wrapped  us  up  well  and  started 
with  us.  Every  few  steps  he  had  to  lift  us  out  of  the  snow 
drifts,  and  when  he  came  to  street  crossings  he  carried  one 
across  and  then  went  back  for  the  other,  and  he  did  this 
three  times,  until  he  left  me  safe  on  my  own  doorsteps. 
Then  he  was  obliged  to  retrace  his  steps  half  the  distance, 
to  his  own  home.  I  shall  always  remember  his  kindness. 
My  mate  on  this  trip  was  Ann  E.  Henchman,  whom  many  of 
the  classes  of  '45  and  '46  will  recall  with  pleasant  remem- 
rances.  She  died  when  about  thirty,  leaving  three  children. 
Mr.  Robinson's  hobby  was  penmanship,  and  he  was 
very  exacting  about  it.  Before  the  days  of  steel  pens,  the 
time  he  gave  to  the  pupils,  showing  them  how  to  fashion 
the  points  of  quills  to  be  used  as  pens,  was  really  marvel- 
ous, and  as  few  ever  became  adepts  in  the  work,  he  was 
so  anxious  that'  their  penmanship  should  be  perfect,  that 
in  reality  he  made  most  of  the  pens  for  two  divisions,  fifty- 
six  each.  His  method  of  teaching  physical  science  made 
the  subject  exceedingly  interesting,  and  one  graduate  said, 
that  she  had  never  forgotten  what  she  had  learned  about  the 
subject  then.  Another  says  that  what  she  learned  at  that 
time  had  always  helped  her  to  understand  in  later  life  the 
wonderful  scientific  discoveries  of  modern  times.  He  was 
always  pleased  at  any  little  attention  from  the  pupils  or 
their  parents.  A  large  watering  can  filled  with  water  al- 
ways stood  behind  the  coal-hod,  ready  for  use  in  case  of 
fire;  one  day  Mr.  Robinson,  whose  hands  were  as  delicate 
as  a  lady's,  dipped  his  fingers  into  the  water  and  instead  of 
using  his  handkerchief  as  usual,  a  brilliant  scarlet  lining  of 
a  cloak  caught  his  eye  and  stepping  to  it,  he  wiped  his  hands 
upon  it;  of  course  this  was  witnessed  by  most  of  the  first 
class  girls  and  by  the  owner  of  the  cloak.     The  next  day, 


24  HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL 

after  the  class  was  called  to  order,  the  girl  quietly  walked 
to  the  desk  and  handing  a  small  package  to  Master  Rob- 
inson, said  distinctly,  "my  mother  sent  this  to  you."  When 
opened,  he  found  two  towels,  with  a  note,  saying  they 
were  tor  his  use  in  school.  An  electric  thrill  seemed  to 
pass  through  the  class,  and  if  there  had  been  a  spectator 
many  peculiar  expressions,  either  of  wonder,  amusement 
or  dread,  would  have  been  seen  on  the  faces  of  the  pupils, 
but  these  soon  became  one  of  simple  amusement,  as  he 
held  up  the  two  towels  and  said  how  thoughtful  the  lady 
had  been.  He,  probably,  did  not  remember,  possibly  did 
not  know,  what  he  had  done,  and  the  sentiment  of  the 
class  was  one  of  pleasure  that  he  did  not.  They  were  indig- 
nant at  the  girl  and  her  mother  who  had  evidently  made 
the  affair  as  public  as  possible. 

Sometime  after,  the  committee  visited  the  school. 
After  they  had  left,  Master  Andrews  addressed  the  class, 
and  told  them  that  the  last  time  the  committee  were  in  they 
were  shown  some  compositions.  They  decided  that  one  of 
them  could  not  have  been  written  by  a  pupil.  Master  An- 
drews told  them  he  felt  sure  that  it  was;  she  usually  wrote 
similar  ones  and  he  had  never  had  the  slightest  doubt  that 
they  were  original.  To  prove  the  integrity  of  the  pupil, 
he  had  sent  her  into  the  recitation-room  alone,  given  her  a 
subject  and  an  hour  in  which  to  write  a  composition.  It 
was  shown  to  the  committee  and  they  acknowledged  their 
mistake.  Calling  the  girl  by  name  to  stand  up,  he  gave 
her  a  few  words  of  commendation,  and  when  she,  embar- 
rassed, disclaimed  any  credit,  he  stopped  her  and  grac- 
iously said:  "Never  deny  any  talent  you  may  possess.  God 
bestowed  the  talent  upon  you,  and  you  should  be  grateful 
for  it. .  The  credit  or  discredit  to  you  will  be  if  you  culti- 
vate or  neglect  the  gift.  Never  deny  your  Maker  by  de- 
nying what  He  has  done  for  you."  Master  Andrews  often 
taught  such  lessons. 


CHAPTER   VI. 


During  the  first  quarter  of  a  century  of  the  Derne- 
Street  School,  several  subjects  were  under  discussion  by 
the  School  Committee.  The  mayor  of  the  city  was  always 
the  president  of  the  Board  and  president  of  the  Common 
Council,  for  many  years,  the  secretary.  There  was  for 
many  years  a  debate  about  the  words,  "visitation," 
"examination"  and  "exhibition."  Finally  it  was  decided 
that  the  medals  should  be  given  out  by  an  arithmetical 
record  kept  by  the  master,  and  there  should  be  no  more 
special  examinations  for  medals;  that  exhibition  day  should 
be  for  the  senior  classes,  and  on  that  day  there  should  be 
an  examination  of  those  classes,  so  the  day  was  Exhibition- 
Examination  Day  and  the  medals  were  given  out  on  that 
day.  This  always  had  been  done  from  1816  at  the  boys' 
school  and  also  at  the  girls'  school  after  medals  were 
granted  them,  so  that  the  decision  of  1839  was  over  twenty 
years  late.  Another  debate  was,  should  girls  be  allowed  to 
attend  the  public  schools.  In  1822  the  privilege  to  attend 
one-half  of  each  year  was  granted  to  them,  this  grant  also 
seems  to  have  been  useless,  as  in  1800  the  school  records 
gives  "three  schools  exclusively  for  boys  and  three  exclu- 
sively for  girls,"  and  in  1819  an  order  that  boys  could  attend 
all  the  year  round  and  the  girls  from  the  20th  of  April  until 
the  20th  of  October.  A  third  discussion  was,  whether  the 
boys  and  girls  should  attend  the  same  school.  In  some  dis- 
tricts there  were  not  enough  children  to  justify  two  build- 
ings, one  for  boys  and  one  for  girls,  so  in  1819  it  was 
decided,  that  boys  and  girls  could  attend  the  same  school, 
but  not  in  the  same  classes,  and  they  attended  at  the  dis- 
cretion of  the  masters;  while  the  boys  were  with  the  reading 

25 


26  HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL 

master,  the  girls  were  with  the  writing  master,  alternating 
monthly.  Another  question,  warmly  debated,  was  whether 
girls  could  attend  the  "year-round,"  as  the  boys  did.  Peti 
tions  were  constantly  sent  in  by  parents  of  the  Bowdoin 
School  that  their  girls  should  attend  as  long  as  the  boys  did. 
In  1829  the  privilege  was  granted  them  and  they  could  attend 
until  they  were  sixteen.  At  one  of  the  meetings,  one  of 
the  committee  opposed  the  petition  for  the  reason,  "that  the 
girls  were  already  ahead  of  the  boys  with  four  and  one-half 
months  the  less  time  and  during  those  four  and  one-half 
months  the  boys  had  the  undivided  attention  of  the  teach- 
ers." A  debate  was  often  carried  on  about  the  text  books. 
I  had  intended  to  give  a  complete  list  of  the  text  books  used 
in  the  Bowdoin  School,  but  found  it  impossible  to  do  so;  new 
books  were  being  proposed  constantly,  and  most  of  them 
were  discussed  by  the  committee,  after  meeting,  and 
it  was  a  too  trying  and  complex  task  to  follow  the  dis- 
cussion to  the  end.  Another  subject  of  debate  was  cor- 
poral punishment,  and  it  was  decided  and  rescinded  so  many 
times,  being  taken  up  every  two  or  three  years,  that  an 
attempt  to  follow  that  was  discarded. 

When  Lowell  Mason  made  his  home  in  Boston,  the 
city  was  highly  favored,  not  on  account  only  of  his  great 
work  in  the  public  schools,  but  his  influence  extended  over 
all  the  church  music  and  in  various  singing  schools.  He 
was  probably  the  cause  of  the  wide  awakening  of  the  in- 
habitants of  Boston  and  vicinity  to  the  need  of  the  cultiva- 
tion of  higher  music  in  this  country  and  to  the  belief  that 
the  introduction  of  it  into  the  public  schools  would  be  a 
great  national  benefit.  Perhaps,  taking  all  things  into  con- 
sideration, there  is  no  one  influence  that  has  had,  and  will 
continue  to  have,  so  softening  and  refining  effect  upon 
the  great  masses  of  people,  whether  they  be  high  or  low, 
rich  or  poor,  educated  or  uneducated,  moral  or  immoral,  as 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL  27 

good  music.  Lowell  Mason  may  well  be  called  the  "Father 
of  Music  in  the  United  States."  In  writing  his  name  with- 
out a  prefix,  a  little  incident  is  recalled.  A  master  one  day 
hearing  one  of  his  pupils  speak  of  him  without  prefixing 
"Master,"  reprimanded  him  for  being  disrespectful,  the 
boy  instantly  replied,  "Who  ever  heard  of  Mr.  William 
Shakspeare?  " 

In  1839,  the  Bowdoin  scholars  were  so  fortunate  as  to 
have  him  as  their  first  teacher  of  music.  Two  hours  each 
week  were  given  to  music,  and  during  those  hours  the 
masters  remained  in  the  room  to  maintain  discipline  and  to 
see  that  the  pupils  attended  to  the  orders  of  the  music 
teacher.  Mr.  Mason  was  very  fond  of,  and  kind  to,  young 
people.  His  great  enthusiasm  in  his  work  called  out  en- 
thusiasm and  interest  in  his  pupils;  they  never  seemed  to 
tire  of  going  over  and  over  many  times  any  particular 
passage,  at  his  request.  He  was  always  ready  with  a  word 
of  praise  and  encouragement.  His  favorite  motto  was,  "If 
a  person  can  talk,  he  can  sing,"  sometimes  modifying  it 
with,  "That  every  one  can  not  sing  well,  but  every  one  can 
sing  so  as  to  give  himself  pleasure  and  do  his  part  in  gen- 
eral singing."  How  the  music  lessons  were  enjoyed!  All 
entered  into  the  exercise  and  sang  with  zest,  ringing  out 
the  choruses,  and  being  repaid  by  the  teacher's  ready  heart- 
some,  "Well  done."  One  of  the  early  graduates  recently 
wrote  to  me :  "You  remember  Lowell  Mason's  singing  les- 
sons ?  You  know  his  theory  that  every  child  who  could 
talk  could  sing.  These  lessons  twice  a  week  were  recrea- 
tions. What  an  honor,  when  we  were  called  upon  to  move 
the  piano  and  get  the  black-board  ready  !  He  said  one  day 
he  wondered  how  many  could  say  that  they  had  not  thought 
of  anything  but  the  lesson  during  the  hour,  and  I  felt  very 
virtuous,  because  I  had  not." 


CHAPTER   VII. 


Many  of  the  books,  used  in  the  first  half-century  of  the 
school,  were  admirably  adapted  to  the  purposes  for  which 
they  were  intended.  Those  used  in  the  higher  or  first 
class  were  Frederick  Emerson's  Arithmetic,  Goold  Brown's 
Grammar,  John  Pierpont's  American  First  Class  Book; 
these  were  all  especially  fine.  There  has  been  so  great  a 
change  in  the  last  half-century  in  solving  and  working  out 
arithmetical  problems,  that  probably  there  are  other  arith- 
metics more  desirable  for  use  in  the  public  schools,  yet  it 
is  well  to  keep  Emerson's  in  one's  private  library  for  refer- 
ence. Goold  Brown's  Grammar  is  a  valuable  work  for 
school  children  to-day.  In  speaking  with  children  of  the 
grammar  and  high  schools,  or  even  with  collegians,  an  old 
student  of  Brown's  Grammar  can  often  dispel  much  of  the 
mistiness  which  is  apt  to  hang  around  the  rules  of  English 
grammar  in  the  minds  of  the  pupils  of  to-day.  The  exam- 
ples Brown  uses  throughout  his  work  to  exemplify  the  sim- 
ple rules  of  spelling  and  use  of  capital  letters,  through  all 
that  prosody  comprehends,  are  taken  from  the  best  Eng- 
lish and  American  authors,  so  that  the  learner  is  storing 
his  mind  with  many  apt  and  comprehensive  lines. 

John  Pierpont  wrote  his  series  of  books  backwards  as 
it  were.  The  highest,  the  "American  First  Class  Book," 
for  the  highest  classes,  was  entered  in  the  District  of  Mas- 
sachusetts, Clerk's  Office,  June,  1823.  It  was  ordered  by 
the  Boston  School  Committee,  "That  the  'American  First 
Class  Book'  be  hereafter  used  in  the  public  reading  schools, 
instead  of  'Scott's  Lessons,'  "  and  in  one  month  after  its 
appearance  it  came  into  general  use.  As  Mr.  Pierpont 
found  that  a  reader,  leading  up  to  the  First  Class  Book, 

28 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL  29 

was  needed,  he  prepared,  in  1827,  the  "National  Reader" 
for  middle  classes,  and  in  July,  1829,  it  was  introduced  into 
the  city  schools,  in  lieu  of  "Murray's  English  Reader." 
Then  he  published  for  the  youngest  classes,  in  1828,  an 
"Introduction  to  the  National  Reader,"  which  was  also  put 
into  the  schools.  "Scott's  Lessons"  and  "Murray's  Eng- 
lish Reader"  were  distinctly  and  solely  English.  The  se- 
lections in  Pierpont's  three  books  are  from  all  of  the  best 
English  and  American  literature,  previous  to  1828.  It  has 
been,  and  still  is  now,  a  general  remark  of  the  first  quarter 
of  a  century  of  the  Bowdoin  graduates,  that  they  acquired 
their  love  for  literature  from  these  books  and  from  the  in- 
teresting and  enthusiastic  method  employed  by  Master 
Andrews  and  his  assistants,  inspired  by  his  example;  many 
of  whom  had  been  instructed  by  him  as  pupils  and,  becom- 
ing teachers,  adopted  his  method  and  imitated  his  enthusi- 
asm in  teaching  their  pupils.  For  many  years,  the  new 
teachers  of  the  school  were  drawn  from  the  old  pupils. 

Bowdoin  School  possessed  an  engine,  at  least  the  build- 
ing did,  but  the  school  claimed  it;  it  was  always  called  "our 
engine"  by  the  pupils,  number  6,  "Hero."  How  the  girls 
envied  the  boys  of  the  neighborhood,  because  they  were 
allowed  to  run  with  the  engine,  and  clasping  the  rail  on 
either  side,  pump  water  on  the  fire;  the  girls,  whose  broth- 
ers were  among  the  boys,  thought  the  fire  would  not  have 
been  stopped  without  the  valuable  (?)  aid  of  the  boys  and 
the  rest  of  the  girls  agreed  with  them.  After  a  night  fire, 
all  the  talk  the  next  day,  out  of  school  hours,  would  be 
about  the  fire  and  the  wonderful  deeds,  "our  Hero"  accom- 
plished. Occasionally  all  the  engines  of  the  city  held  con- 
tests.    Oh!  How  anxious  all  were,  that  Hero  should  win. 

As  the  scholars  had  not  separate  desks,  one  girl  occu- 
pying the  space  called  a  desk,  in  the  morning  and  another 
girl  using  the  same  in  the  afternoon,  books,  slates,  rulers, 


30  HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL 

pens  and  pencils  were  taken  home  after  each  session;  often 
one  of  the  small  articles  would  be  overlooked  and  trouble 
would  ensue,  in  the  effort  to  obtain  it,  as  it  would  probably 
disturb  some  teacher. 

The  following  is  quoted  from  a  pupil  who  entered 
Bowdoin  School  in  1834,  and  graduated,  a  medal  scholar  in 
1840.  "I  am  asked  to  tell  you  some  interesting  events 
that  occurred  while  I  was  in  the  school.  I  can  remember 
a  few  incidents  that  are  not  included  in  the  present  course 
of  school  life.  Perhaps  you  remember  that  there  was  an 
engine  house  in  the  lower  story  of  the  building,  below  the 
school-rooms.  One  afternoon  a  man's  face  was  seen  peer- 
ing through  an  opening  in  the  wall  in  Miss  Murdock's  room, 
much  to  the  amazement  of  the  pupils.  He  had  probably 
worked  his  way  up  in  some  manner,  from  the  engine  house 
below. 

"Another  incident  I  recall,  one  afternoon  looking 
around,  I  saw  many  of  the  large  girls  in  the  first  class  run- 
ning around  as  though  they  were  terribly  frightened.  I  was 
only  eight  years  old  and  thinking  something  terrible  had 
happened,  I  began  to  run,  but  instead  of  directing  my  steps 
to  the  door,  I  must  have  run  furiously  against  some  solid 
substance,  as  after  the  scene  was  over,  I  found  my  forehead 
was  swollen  and  had  on  it  a  bad,  black  and  blue  spot.  The 
cause  of  the  general  fright,  was  the  giving  way  of  an  enor- 
mous grate  filled  with  live  coals,  both  coals  and  grate  hav- 
ing fallen  to  the  floor.  Mr.  Robinson,  with  much  difficulty, 
kept  the  girls  back  and  thus  saved  a  general  panic. 

"One  pleasant  occasion  that  took  place,  about  a  year 
after  I  entered  the  school,  was  an  excursion  to  Hingham 
by  water.  We  all,  the  four  upper  classes,  assembled  at  the 
school-house,  early  in  the  forenooon  and  marched  four 
abreast  in  a  procession  through  the  streets  to  the  steamboat 
landing,  and  made  quite  a  grand   show.      On   board   the 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL  31 

steamboat,  music  had  been  furnished,  and  there  was  dancing 
by  pupils  and  teachers  on  the  way  down.  After  leaving  the 
boat  we  went  to  a  pleasant  picnic  grove,  where  there  were 
one  or  two  large  swings.  Simple  refreshments  were  fur- 
nished us  on  a  scale  somewhat  different  from  the  six-course 
lunches  for  children  of  to-day.  We  went  home  feeling  we 
had  had  a  good  time.  As  I  had  never  before  been  on  the 
water,  to  me  it  was  a  red  letter  day." 

The  grove  referred  to  must  have  been  the  "Old  Col- 
ony" grove,  surrounding  the  "Old  Colony  Tavern,"  which 
stood  on  a  high  hill,  just  opposite  the  Steamboat  Landing, 
and  the  steamboat  could  be  seen  a  quarter  of  an  hour  be- 
fore she  arrived  at  the  pier.  "The  Tavern  was  burnt  to  the 
ground  many  years  ago." 

The  same  writer  contributed  the  following :  "There 
was  one  spot  near  the  old  Derne-Street  school-house  with 
special  attraction  for  some  of  us  old  graduates,  in  our  juve- 
venile  days.  I  refer  to  Mrs.  Weld's  store  opposite  the 
school-house  on  Derne  street.  Her  home-made  molasses 
candy,  fresh  every  morning  and  laid  on  bright  tin  sheets, 
some  in  the  shape  of  sticks  and  some  in  the  shape  of 
squares,  was  a  great  temptation,  hard  to  resist.  We  did 
not  grudge  giving  our  pennies,  for  we  felt  we  received  our 
money's  worth  in  return.  It  was  genuine;  there  was 
no  admixture  of  any  foreign  ingredients,  there  was  no  flour 
and  flavoring  as  we  sometimes  find  in  other  places.  I  do 
not  know  what  Huyler  or  Page  or  Bailey  can  bring  fresh 
from  behind  their  counters  to-day  in  the  shape  of  molasses 
candy,  but  they  can  have  nothing  half  so  satisfactory  as 
that  was  to  us  in  childhood's  days.  My  association  with 
Mrs.  Weld  will  be  sweet  to  the  last." 

Doubtless  that  little  shop  had  charms  for  every  child 
who  attended  the  school,  and  surely  its  spell  held,  long 
beyond  childhood's  days,  even  through  her  last  year,  with 
all  its  dignities. 


32  HISTORY    OF   THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL 

From  the  Boston  Daily  Advertiser,  August  15,  1840  : 
"To  Mr.  Hale,  at  the  exhibition  of  the  Bowdoin  School  on 
Wedesday  last,  I  listened  with  great  pleasure  to  the  Vale- 
dictory, written  by  Miss  Harriet  E.  Hill,  a  pupil  of  the 
school.  It  is  a  beautiful  production,  highly  creditable  to 
its  young  authoress  and  to  the  teachers  of  the  schools  by 
whose  care  her  superior  faculties  have  been  developed  and 
cultivated.  By  giving  it  a  place  in  your  paper,  you  will 
confer  a  favor  on  one  of  the  school  committee  of  the  Bow- 
doin School." 

The  fragrant  day  has  poured  its  lucid  rays, 
And  we  have  waked  the  tuneful  voice  of  praise; 
Once  more  assembled  on  this  festal  morn, 
Our  friends  to  meet,  our  duties  to  perform. 
And  now,  our  cup  is  frought  with  joy  and  grief, 
For  thorns  with  roses  twine  in  pleasure's  wreath; 
Joy  that  rises  from  a  grateful  heart, 
And  grief,  that  we  from  early  scenes  must  part. 

Much  honored  Sirs,  who  have  the  general  charge, 

To  make  the  tender  germs  of  thought  enlarge, 

To  cultivate  the  intellectual  soil, 

Now  may  you  reap  the  harvest  of  your  toil; 

Should  not  the  flowers  beneath  your  watchful  care, 

Flourish  and  blossom  into  beauty  rare; 

Well  might  they,  blushing,  hang  the  drooping  head, 

And  seek  to  find  in  shame  a  lonely  bed. 

And  you,  beloved  friends,  who've  gathered  here, 

To  learn  our  progress  through  another  year, 

We  gladly  would  requite  your  deep  regard, 

But  gratitude  we  only  can  award. 

But  you  will  not  expect  in  us  to  find 

The  erudition  of  the  more  refined; 

Here  the  foundation,  sure  and  firm,  is  made, 

In  other  schools  the  superstructure's  laid, 

For  we  have  not  conned  tbe  classic  page, 

Nor  roamed  the  heavens  in  search  of  wonders  sage; 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL  33 

Have  drunk  not  from  the  Helicarnian  spring, 

Nor  felt  the  Muses  which  the  Poets  sing. 

But,  though  we  may  not  speak  in  Grecian  tongue, 

Nor  tell  of  scenes  which  Latin  bards  have  sung; 

Have  not  with  Newton  trod  the  star-paved  way, 

Nor  struck  on  Milton's  harp  the  epic  lay; 

Yet,  we  have  powers,  which  upwards  tend  to  soar, 

And  Bowdoin  School  may  yet  produce  a  More. 

Respected  Teachers,  who  with  care  have  taught, 

Have  led  the  way  through  knowledge's  thorny  road, 

And  o'er  the  pathway  flowers  of  wisdom  strewed; 

Have  sought  science's  garland  to  entwine, 

The  moral  precepts  of  a  truth  divine; 

And  point  to  virtue  as  the  only  goal. 

How  arduous  the  task  to  you  assigned, 

To  guide  through  learning's  ways  the  deathless  mind, 

To  teach  the  daughters  of  Columbia's  land, 

Supply,  in  part,  the  parent's  guardian  hand; 

And  yet,  how  well  performed,  and  though  we  may 

Your  constant  care  and  patience  ne'er  repay, 

To  you,  the  Teachers,  meed  will  yet  be  given, 

That  recompense,  bestowed  alone  by  heaven. 

Dear  Classmates,  who  with  me  now  bid  adieu 

To  much  loved  scenes  and  fond  companions  too, 

Who  leave  the  place  where  we  were  early  taught, 

To  cull  from  learning's  mine  the  gems  of  thought, 

Where  we  each  other's  tasks  have  sought  to  cheer, 

Have  dropt  for  other's  woe  the  kindly  tear; 

Think  not  your  education  now  is  done, 

But  rather  think  it  has  scarce  begun. 

If  the  immortal  bard  of  Albion's  strand, 

But  gathered  shells  and  pebbles  from  the  sand, 

While  truth's  vast  ocean  far  before  him  lay, 

Enlightened  by  a  scientific  ray; 

We,  from  the  brimming  fount  of  knowledge  fair, 

Have  gathered  less  than  elements  of  air; 

Let  then  the  culture  of  the  mind  proceed; 

But,  while  the  wants  of  intellect  we  feed, 

Still  recollect,  that  learning,  fame,  nor  birth, 

Can  fill  the  place  of  moral  worth. 


34  HISTORY   OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL 

Loved  Schoolmates,  who  remain  another  year, 

Shed  not  with  us  the  parting  tear; 

Oh,  may  our  friendship,  warmed  by  youthful  love, 

Outlive  e'en  death,  and  bloom  in  vales  above. 

Together  we  have  climbed  the  rugged  mount, 

Have  slaked  the  feverish  thirst  from  knowledge's  fount, 

Together  wandered  through  Acadian  glades, 

Or  sought  repose  'neath  Hespian  shades; 

But  though  these  halcyon  hours  no  more  return, 

They  are  still  cherished  in  the  heart's  lone  urn. 

When  twice  ten  suns  have  oped  the  vernal  flowers, 
And  knit  in  circling  dance  the  rosy  hours; 
Through  the  long  vistas  of  departed  days, 
Fondly,  let  memory  retrospective  gaze; 
And,  as  untouched  by  time's  destroying  hand, 
View  round  the  teacher's  desk,  the  smiling  band. 
Then  sad,  may  memory  ask,  "Where  are  they  now, 
Where,  where  that  eye  of  light,  that  spotless  brow, 
Who  listens  to  that  sister's  voice  serene?" 
Ah,  waves  may  part,  and  mountain  intervene; 
Some  may  have  settled  in  their  native  land; 
The  feet  of  others  press  a  foreign  strand; 
While  some  may  roam  where  orange  blows, 
Or  roam  mid  ice-bound  hills  of  northern  snows; 
Others  may  wander  in  the  citron  clime, 
Or  tread  the  banks  of  the  imperial  Rhine; 
Some  dwell  in  Orient  groves  of  spicy  breath, 
Teaching  the  immortal  mind  the  way  from  death. 
Others  may  then  their  checkered  course  have  run, 
And  the  chill  tomb  may  answer  "I  have  some." 
And  now  adieu,  but  let  that  word  farewell 
Be  not  of  friendship's  life  the  echoing  knell; 
And  though  to-day,  the  last  warm  grasp  be  given, 
May  we  all  meet,  to  part  no  more,  in  Heaven. 


CHAPTER   VIII. 


A  medal  graduate  of  1842  sent  in  the  following  account. 
"Do  you  recollect  the  crowning  of  your  sister,  a  medal 
graduate  of  1841,  Mary  D.  Nichols,  as  May  Queen  on  Bun- 
ker Hill  ?  About  half  a  dozen  of  us  started  from  the  house 
of  a  classmate,  named  Estabrook,  and  we  walked  over 
Charlestown  Bridge  to  the  place;  we  carried  our  lunch  and 
although  we  went  in  procession  with  our  crown,  I  do  not 
remember  that  we  attracted  any  special  attention  from  the 
public.  I  have  not  the  slightest  idea  who  made  the 
speeches,  nor  what  was  said,  only  we  did  have  a  beautiful 
time  and  sat  on  the  green  grass." 

Her  second  story  is:  "The  class  of  1841  agreed  to 
appear  the  next  day  at  school,  with  their  hair  hanging  in 
braids,  down  their  backs.  Both  masters  noticed  it  and 
seemed  very  much  amused,  making  some  pleasant  remark." 
At  that  time  hair  was  worn  up  by  scholars  of  the  higher 
classes,  but  two  or  three  years  later  it  was  worn  hanging 
down.  One  of  the  girls  of  the  second  class,  who  had  a 
great  deal  of  long  blonde  hair,  was  seized  on  her  way  home 
from  school,  and  her  braids  cut  off.  This  fact  was  recalled, 
by  the  many  similar  cases  recently.  A  graduate  of  1845 
who  was  early  married  and  went  to  Blairsville,  Penn.,  and 
has  resided  there  ever  since,  sent  this  incident:  "In  the 
Evening  Transcript  of  many  years  ago,  it  was  stated  that 
when  the  old  Music  Hall  was  altered,  there  was  found 
among  other  things  in  the  corner  stone,  a  medal  of  which 
no  one  knew  the  significance,  a  Franklin  medal  was  found 
in  the  same  connection;  so  I  was  almost  certain,  in  one  par- 
ticular, I  knew  more  than  some  Boston  people !  I  wrote 
to  the  Editor,  telling  him  it  was  probably  a  City  medal  for 

35 


36  HISTORY    OF   THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL 

girls  of  more  than  fifty  years  before  and  accurately  de- 
scribed my  own,  which  I  still  treasure.  I  copied  the  full 
inscription  on  each  side"  I  think  this  can  be  accounted  for: 
my  sister's  medal  1842  had  on  it  "City  medal  for  females," 
while  on  mine  of  1845  "City  medal  for  females"  was 
ommitted. 

When  William  Henry  Harrison,  President  of  the 
United  States,  died,  after  only  one  month  of  service,  all  over 
the  country  large  state  funerals  took  place.  Boston  was 
draped  heavily  in  black.  All  the  public  school  children 
participated;  they  stood  around  the  Common  on  the  malls, 
girls  on  one  side,  boys  on  the  other,  with  crepe  on  one  arm. 
The  city  officials  headed  a  long  procession  of  military, 
societies,  and  private  citizens;  an  immense  catafalque  had 
been  constructed  and  was  drawn  by  several  pairs  of  black 
horses.  The  gates  of  the  Common  were  opened  and  the 
procession  passed  around  the  Common  bewtween  the  rows 
of  children  on  the  malls.  Although  it  was  April,  it  was  a 
very  cold  day  and  as  the  procession  had  been  delayed  for 
more  than  an  hour  the  children  really  suffered  with  the 
cold  and  the  fatigue  of  standing  so  long.  The  position  of  the 
Bowdoin  School  was  at  the  corner  of  Beacon  and  Charles 
streets.  I  have  never  forgotten  the  immense  catafalque, 
and  the  funeral  music  of  the  bands  and  the  tolling  of  the 
bells  made  a  deep  impression  upon  me. 

There  was  one  great  pleasure  that  the  girls  enjoyed. 
Bowdoin,  Temple  and  Hancock  streets  ran  from  Mt.  Ver- 
non street  to  Cambridge  street,  a  very  steep  incline.  After 
a  hard  rain  the  water  would  flow  down  the  gutters  on  each 
side  of  the  streets,  like  a  riverlet,  often  with  mimic  falls. 
The  children,  before  leaving  home,  would  provide  them- 
selves with  suitable  sticks  for  mineature  boats,  and  happy 
the  child  whose  father  or  elder  brother  might  be  skilled  in 
whittling  out  the  right  shape  for  floating  down  the  streams. 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL  37 

After  school,  homeward  bound,  what  wonderful  boat  races 
took  place.  It  was  glorious  sport  !  Such  rivalry  was 
started.  I  do  not  believe  that  owners  of  swift  yachts  were 
ever  more  enthusiastic,  excited  or  happy  than  were  the 
children.  Then  the  sliding  down  those  streets  in  winter  ! 
When  it  is  mentioned  now,  many  graduates  exclaim, 
"What  glorious  times  we  did  have." 

Pupils  were  not  allowed  to  remain  in  the  building  at 
noon,  unless  there  was  a  severe  storm  and  one  of  the  teach- 
ers could  stay  with  them.  The  family  of  one  of  the  older 
girls  moved  to  Cambridge  for  the  summer,  but  she  was  al- 
lowed to  finish  the  school  year,  which  terminated  the  first 
week  in  August,  and  she  remained  in  the  building  during 
the  noon  recess.  One  day  two  little  children  were  permit- 
ted to  remain  at  noon  and  were  left  in  the  charge  of  the 
older  girl.  They  were  near  the  stove  eating  their  lunches, 
and  afterward  they  were  peeping  under  the  stove  (which 
stood  six  or  eight  inches  from  the  floor)  as  if  hunting  for 
something.  When  asked  if  they  had  lost  anything  they 
shook  their  heads  "No,"  but  looked  very  sober.  Finally 
one  said  they  couldn't  see  God.  When  asked  what  she 
meant,  she  said  somebody  told  her  that  God  was  every- 
where. 

One  of  the  classes  copying  the  example  of  that  of  1841 
had  a  May-day  party.  They  gathered  in  Miss  Murdock's 
room  two  or  three  times  to  make  arrangements  and  to 
choose  a  queen.  Lizzie  Falkner  was  choosen.  The  first  of 
May  was  a  perfect  spring  day.  An  omnibus  took  the  party 
to  a  grove  in  Dorchester;  here  upon  a  large  boulder  the 
throne  was  arranged  for  the  queen,  and  she  was  crowned 
with  a  wreath  of  the  green  of  the  woods. 

Her  mother,  who  was  the  matron  of  the  party,  served 
as  tire-woman  to  the  queen  and,  much  to  the  astonishment 
of  all,  knelt  and  kissed  the  hand  of  her  daughter,  so  the 


38  HISTORY    OF   THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL 

rest  did  the  same  and  the  queen  made  quite  a  speech.  The 
time  passed  pleasantly  in  singing  May-songs  from  Lowell 
Mason's  books,  rambling  through  the  woods,  partaking  of 
a  "mother's  lunch."  A  ride  home  at  twilight  completed  a 
happy  afternoon. 

Order  of  Exercises 

AT   THE 

Public  Annual  Exhibition 

OF    THE 

BOWDOIN   SCHOOL 

Wednesday,  August  13,  1845, 
at  8  o'clock,  a.  m. 


I.     Song. — Always  Some  Good. 

Every  season  brings  a  sum  of  pleasure, 
Every  fortune  brings  some  litle  treasure. 


II. 

Reading. 

III. 

Song. — Friendship. 

Awake,  awake  the  tuneful  voice: 
And  strike  the  joyful  string. 

IV. 

Grammar. 

V. 

Geography. 

VI. 

History. 

VII. 

Natural  Philosophy. 

VIII. 

Song. — Pleasures  of  Childhood. 

Come,  let  us  singing, 
Speak  out  these  pleasures. 

IX. 

Arithmetic. 

X. 

Algebra. 

HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL  39 

XL     Song. — Come,  Come  Away. 

Oh!  come,  come  away,  from  labor  now  reposing, 
Let  busy  care  awhile  forbear. 

XII.     Geometry. 

XIII.  Book-Keeping  and  Penmanship. 

XIV.  Song. — The  Fading  Leaf. 

I  am  a  falling  Leaf, 
The  chilly  winds  have  found  me 

XV.     Reading  Compositions. 
XVI.     The  Student's  Song. 

Awake  the  song  of  merry  greeting, 
Sing  tral-lal-lal-lal-lal-lal-la. 

XVII.     Medals  Awarded. 

XVIII.     Prayer. 

In  1845  there  was  a  picnic  of  the  two  upper  classes, 
under  the  auspices  of  Mr.  Andrews,  Misses  Murdock  and 
Caroline  Andrews  and  other  teachers.  As  I  recall  it,  I  do 
not  think  it  was  on  May-day.  We  went  in  the  steam  cars 
to  a  grove  in  Reading.  It  was  an  excessively  hot  day  and 
the  distance  from  the  station  to  the  grove  seemed  longer 
than  it  probably  was.  Teachers  joined  us  in  games  and  we 
were  enjoying  every  moment,  when  the  sound  of  shrill 
shrieks  stopped  our  play  and  the  trouble  was  investigated. 
It  was  found  that  someone  in  running  had  plunged  into  a 
nest  of  yellow  wasps;  those  who  were  stung  were  suffering 
intensely  and  were  very  much  frightened.  We  were  all 
made  to  keep  at  a  safe  distance  and  the  teachers  soothed 
and  calmed  the  injured  ones.  Master  Andrews  sent  for 
water  from  a  nearby  spring  and  moistened  some  soil  and 
plastered  it   over  the  stings;  after  a  while  he  went   with 


40  HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL 

those  who  were  stung  the  worst  and  put  them  safely  on  the 
cars  for  their  homes.  When  he  returned  he  was  literally 
dripping  with  water,  as  if  he  had  just  plunged  into  a  bath. 
As  I  look  back  now,  I  think  it  was  his  liability  to  excessive 
perspiration  that  may  have  saved  his  life,  for  he  had  walked 
a  mile  or  more  over  an  unsheltered  road  in  one  of  the  hot- 
test days  of  the  season.  Of  course  the  accident  marred 
our  pleasure.  As  the  day  cooled  we  ate  our  supper  and 
teachers  and  pupils  quietly  enjoyed  the  last  hours  in  the 
wood  and  our  walk  to  the  station. 


MASTER   ROBINSON. 


CHAPTER   IX. 


In  the  year  1 846  several  incidents  took  place.  A  general 
committee  was  appointed  to  examine  all  the  public  schools 
"to  ascertain  their  condition."  The  result  is  not  recorded 
upon  the  School  Records,  but  Master  Andrews  announced 
to  the  school,  that  Bowdoin  School  stood  at  the  head.  He 
must  have  been  so  told  by  someone  in  authority,  or  he 
would  not  have  given  out  the  statement  as  he  was  a  very 
cautious  man. 

One  day  some  merchants  in  their  business  met  with  a 
puzzling  arithmetical  problem  and  discussed  among  them- 
selves how  many  pupils  in  the  highest  classes  of  the  schools 
would  be  able  to  solve  it.  The  question  was  sent  into  the 
schools  on  the  same  day  and  the  result  reported  was,  that  it 
had  been  solved  by  only  two  pupils  and  they  were  members 
of  the  Bowdoin  School,  a  girls'  school!  How  pleased  and 
proud  was  Master  Robinson  ! 

Some  strangers,  who  were  visiting  the  city  schools,  one 
day  appeared  at  the  Bowdoin  School;  one  of  the  gentlemen 
asked  permission  to  propound  a  question.  Of  course  the 
request  was  granted  and  this  was  the  question:  "Who  can 
box  the  compass  ?  "  This  was  a  subject  not  found  in  the 
geographies  of  those  days.  Atter  a  few  moments  of  sur- 
prise and  absolute  stillness,  a  hand  was  raised;  the  girl  was 
called  upon  to  answer  and  she  boxed  the  compass,  slowly 
and  carefully,  speaking  each  word  fully;  when  through,  she 
was  asked  if  she  could  box  it  sailor  fashion,  this  she  did; 
then  probably  thinking  to  puzzle  her,  she  was  asked  to  box  it 
backwards.  When  she  had  finished,  the  gentleman  an- 
nounced, "This  question  has  been  given  out  in  several 
schools,  but  no  one  could  answer  it."      Of  course  Master 

41 


42  HISTORY   OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL 

Andrews  was  gratified,  telling  the  class  he  could  not  have 
answered  it  himself.  It  was  simply  an  accident,  a  case  of 
a  little  home  instruction. 

"Audubon's  Birds"  had  been  recently  purchased  and 
placed  in  one  of  the  basement  rooms  of  the  State  House, 
for  easy  access.  Master  Andrews  obtained  permission  for 
the  older  pupils  to  see  them,  without  the  attendance  of  a 
teacher  and  many  pleasant  hours  were  passed  there. 

When  the  committe  or  any  visitors  were  in  the  school 
the  whole  room  was  called  to  order  and  members  of  the 
first  class  were  called  upon  to  recite.  On  one  occasion, 
Master  Andrews  asked  one  of  the  pupils  to  read  a  selec- 
tion from  Wirt,  "The  Blind  Preacher."  The  extract 
choosen  describes  the  eloquence  and  impassioned  fervor  of 
the  speaker,  as  he  led  his  audience  on  through  the  child- 
hood and  youth  of  Christ;  his  beautiful  teachings  to  his  dis- 
ciples; his  compassion  for  sinners,  and  his  humility  and  se- 
renity as  he  bore  the  abuse  and  the  bodily  and  spiritual 
suffering  of  the  closing  scene  of  his  last  hours.  When  his 
hearers  were  wrought  up  to  the  intensest  compassion  and 
thrilled  through  their  whole  being  in  close  sympathy  with 
the  speaker,  then  he  finished  :  "Father,  forgive  them,  for 
they  know  not  what  they  do."  The  effect  is  inconceivable. 
The  whole  house  resounded  with  the  mingled  groans,  sobs 
and  shrieks  of  the  congregation.  The  first  sentence,  with 
which  he  broke  the  awful  silence,  was  a  quotation  from 
Rosseau  :  "Socrates  died  like  a  philospher,  but  Jesus 
Christ  like  a  God!"  The  stillness  was  so  great  in  the 
school-room  while  the  girl  was  reading  that  a  "pin  could 
have  been  heard,  if  dropped."  Just  before  reading  the  last 
sentence,  the  reader  paused  and  then  dropped  suddenly 
into  her  seat,  and  with  hands  over  her  face  laid  her  head 
upon  the  desk,  while  her  whole  body  was  convulsed  with 
laughter,  which  gave  her  the  appearance  of  sobbing.     Just 


HISTORY    OF   THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL  43 

as  she  had  lowered  her  book  and  began  to  recite  the  last 
passage,  the  girl  seated  just  before  her  placed  her  hands 
backward  over  her  shoulders,  and  directly  under  the  eyes 
of  the  reader  displayed  two  grotesque,  hideous,  black,  East 
Indian  images.  Master  Andrews  said  to  the  visitors,  "She 
is  a  very  sensitive  girl;  she  felt  all  that  she  was  reading." 
As  soon  as  the  girl  could  control  herself  she  quietly  left 
the  room,  but  to  this  day  that  girl  feels  guilty  of  deceiving 
the  master,  visitors  and  all  the  teachers  and  the  two 
hundred  pupils  present,  but  she  could  not  expose  her  class- 
mate. 

July  4th,  1846,  six  of  the  first  class  girls,  whom  Lowell 
Mason  had  selected,  with  a  similar  number  of  girls  and  boys 
from  each  of  the  other  grammar  schools  and  the  Latin  and 
High  schools,  to  take  part  in  the  city  exercises,  assembled 
at  the  "Cradle  of  Liberty."  Their  part  was  to  listen  to  the 
reading  of  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States,  to  hear 
patriotic  speeches  by  the  best  orators  of  the  city,  and  under 
the  leadership  of  Lowell  Mason  to  respond  to  each  speech 
with  a  song.  These  were  taken  from  Mason's  "School  Song 
Books : " 

1.  "Oh  land  of  good  that  gave  me  birth ! 

My  lovely,  native  land." 

2.  "Friends  we  bid  you  welcome  here; 

Freedom's  sacred  cause  revere." 

3.  "Before  all  lands  in  East  or  West; 

I  love  my  native  land  the  best." 

The  others  were  the  national  patriotic  hymns. 

After  the  exercises  were  over  all  went  to  the  banquet 
hall,  where  the  singers  were  placed  at  a  table  by  them- 
selves. That,  of  course,  was  a  red  letter  day  in  our  school 
life. 


CHAPTER   X. 


The  books  used  in  1846  in  the  highest  class  of  the 
Bowdoin  School,  where  Pierpoint's  American  First  Class 
Book,  Goold  Brown's  Grammar,  Smellie's  Natural  Philos- 
ophy, Worcester's  Ancient  and  Modern  History,  Blair's 
Rhetoric,  Mitchell's  Geography  and  Globes,  in  the  read- 
ing department.  Frederick  Emerson's  Arithmetic,  Bailey's 
Algebra,  Colburn's  Mental  Arithmetic,  Geometry,  Parker's 
Physical  Science,  Book-keeeping  and  Penmanship,  in 
the  writing  department.  In  the  spring  of  the  year, 
Physical  Geography  was  added.  There  was  a  singular 
circumstance  connected  with  the  first  instruction  of  this 
latter  study.  Mr.  Robinson  told  me  the  study  had 
been  placed  in  the  writing  department  and  he  did  not 
consider  it  belonged  there,  but  in  the  reading  de- 
partment, saying  he  knew  nothing  about  the  subject,  but 
did  not  like  to  find  fault,  as  it  was  the  last  term  of  the 
school  year  and  it  might  affect  his  position  and  asked  me 
to  conduct  the  class.  Of  course  I  refused  as  I  knew  noth- 
ing about  the  subject.  He  called  at  my  home  and  talked 
the  matter  over  with  my  parents.  My  sister  graduated  from 
the  Bowdoin  five  years  before  and  had  continued  her  edu- 
cation at  Rev.  Mr.  Ellis'  school;  my  brother  had  graduated 
from  the  Mayhewand  the  English  High  School.  Mr.  Rob- 
inson was  urgent,  saying  that  during  the  summer  vacation 
he  would  fit  himself  to  teach  it,  so  it  was  decided  that,  with 
the  assistance  of  my  family,  I  could  prepare  the  lessons  and 
impart  what  I  had  learned  to  the  scholars.  He  gave  the 
study  to  only  the  first  twenty  of  the  class.  I  began  the  first 
lesson  with  fear  and  trembling,  as  I  thought  the  girls  nat- 
urally would  resent  it,  but  they  did  not  as  far  as  I  ever 

44 


HISTORY    OF   THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL  45 

knew,  and  the  work  was  thus  made  easy  and  soon  it 
was  a  great  pleasure  to  me.  I  never  saw  anything  that 
savored  in  the  slightest  of  disapproval,  and  I  have  always 
been  grateful  to  every  member  of  the  class.  I  have  spoken 
of  a  habit  of  Master  Andrews  of  stopping  on  the  stairs  and 
gazing  into  the  recitation-room;  after  he  had  seen  me  sev- 
eral times,  sitting  at  the  table  and  the  rest  of  my  own  class 
sitting  around  the  room,  as  if  I  was  teaching  them,  he 
called  me  into  his  own  recitation-room  and  asked  me  what  I 
was  doing  in  the  writing  recitation-room  so  often.  I  felt 
obliged  to  tell  him,  although  sorry  for  Mr.  Robinson.  He 
meditated  a  little  while,  with  his  head  drooped  forward,  a 
litttle  to  one  side,  (a  habit  of  his  when  thinking)  then  said: 
"You  can  go  on  with  the  work,  but  if  there  is  any  trouble, 
come  tome.  Do  you  understand?  Cometowie."  I  did  not 
at  the  time  take  in  the  full  significance  of  the  order.  I  did 
not  know  at  that  time,  what  I  have  since  learned  from  the 
Records  of  the  School-Board,  that  in  1833  it  was  decided  that 
the  "Reading  department  master  is  the  head  authority  and 
his  decision  shall  be  permanant."  I  think  his  motive  was, 
to  spare  Mr.  Robinson,  and  that  the  latter  should  not  know 
Master  Andrews  knew  anything  about  it. 

On  Exhibition  Day,  August  12,  1846,  the  first  class  as- 
sembled in  the  lower  room  and  the  room,  entry  and  stair- 
way were  packed  with  friends  of  the  class.  Master  An- 
drews gave  out  questions  to  the  class  in  his  special  studies 
and  Master  Robinson  in  his.  Questions  had  been  pre- 
pared on  slips  of  paper  and  distributed,  indiscriminately, 
to  the  pupils.  As  soon  as  a  girl  could  give  an  answer,  she 
raised  her  hand  and  was  called  upon.  In  arithmetic,  alge- 
bra, geometry  and  physics  explanations  were  required. 
One  of  the  pupils  recently  told  me,  her  question  was: 
"How  many  times  in  an  hour  and  at  what  time  do  the 
hands  of  a  clock  come  together  and  at  what  time  are  they 


46  HISTORY    OF   THE   BOWDOIN    SCHOOL 

opposite?"  One  pupil,  in  her  haste  to  answer  the  question: 
"which  are  the  largest  cities  of  the  United  States?"  by  begin- 
ning: "Fity  of  Ciladelphia,"  was  so  disconcerted  that  she 
could  not  go  on.  Another  pupil  had  been  told  on  the  after- 
noon of  the  day  before  to  draw  a  large  steam  engine  on 
the  black-board.  At  that  time  drawing  had  not  been  in- 
troduced into  the  schools.  Her  question  on  a  slip  of  paper 
was:  "Demonstrate  by  the  drawing  the  difference  between 
high  and  low-pressure  engines."  In  this  way,  which  in  re- 
ality took  but  a  short  time,  the  parents  and  other  guests 
could  easily  ascertain  the  actual  knowledge  which  the  pupil 
had  acquired.  Those  called  upon  to  read,  showed  by  their 
execution  they  had  been  thoroughly  trained.  Afterward 
a  few  short  compositions  were  read,  and  the  matter 
and  style  of  reading  them  showed  that  Master  Andrews 
was  a  number  one  teacher  of  grammar  and  elocution.  The 
writing-books,  which  had  been  passing  round  among  the 
visitors,  were  almost  marvels  of  beautiful  penmanship. 
Master  Robinson  was  one  of  the  finest  penmen  of  his  time. 
Chorus  singing,  under  the  charge  of  Lowell  Mason,  was 
interspersed  between  the  exercises  and  after  the  reading 
of  the  valedictory.  Rev.  Dr.  Sharpe,  chairman  of  the 
school  committee,  after  making  a  few  remarks,  called  up 
to  the  platfom  the  six  medal  scholars,  and  threw  blue 
ribbons,  with  a  silver  medal  attached,  around  their  necks. 

During  the  exercises  Mayor  Josiah  Quincy,  Jr.,  and 
George  L.  Hilliard,  President  of  the  Common  Council,  en- 
tered the  room. 

1846— Valedictoy — Leah  L.  Nichols. 

It  is  comparatively  of  very  modern  date  that  we  find 
a  provision  made  for  the  instruction  of  all  the  classes  of 
people.  In  former  periods,  the  minds  of  a  large  proportion 
were  left  uncultivated;  the  fertile  soil  was  never  planted 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL  47 

with  that  knowledge  and  those  virtues  which  render  the 
possessors  of  them  useful  members  of  society.  True,  in  all 
ages,  the  education  of  the  richer  classes  of  the  community 
has  been  in  some  degree  attended  to;  but  even  they  pos- 
sessed not  the  advantages  which  the  poorest  of  our  citizens 
now  enjoy.  Their  education  was  confined  to  the  ornamen- 
tal, to  the  exclusion,  mostly,  of  the  useful  branches  of  know- 
ledge, excepting,  indeed,  those  bright  lights  of  Genius,  of 
whom  every  age  has  its  number,  whose  words  have  been 
of  wisdom  and  whose  works  still  live  as  beacons,  illumina- 
ting the  dark  records  of  the  past. 

At  the  present  time  the  greater  portion  of  the  inhabi- 
tants of  the  earth  are  sunk  in  ignorance.  If  we  take  a  near 
view  of  the  condition  of  the  great  mass  of  people  in  Eng- 
land, France  and  Austria,  the  great  powers  of  Europe  and 
the  most  enlightened  nations  of  the  East,  we  shall  find 
many  unable  to  either  read  or  write.  If  ignorance  is  so 
prevalent  in  these  countries,  proverbally  noted  for  wisdom 
and  intelligence,  how  wretched  must  be  the  state  of  soci- 
ety in  the  less  favored  regions  of  the  globe ! 

But  ignorance  is  not  confined  to  the  old  world;  on 
this  side  of  the  Atlantic  three-fourths  of  the  inhabitants  are 
uneducated.  The  establishment  of  common  schools  is  a 
recent  affair  in  many  parts  of  our  loved  country  and  unless 
that  method  of  communicating  knowledge  and  training  in 
the  moral  and  intellectual  powers  of  the  great  class  of 
the  people  is  more  generally  adopted,  those  institutions, 
rendered  sacred  to  us  by  the  value  placed  upon  them  by 
our  ancestors,  will  be  thought  of  only  as  things  that  have 
been;  and  the  moral  and  intellectual  powers  of  the  lower 
orders  of  our  community  (augmented  as  it  is  by  emigrants 
from  foreign  nations,  many  of  whom  are  unable  to  read 
and  write,)  will  be  obscured  by  deep  darkness,  and  super- 
stition and  ignorance  will  spread  their  wings  over  the  land, 
obscuring  the  bright  sunlight  of  knowledge  and  truth. 


48  HISTORY    OF   THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL 

It  is  in  the  New  England  states,  New  York  and  Mich- 
igan, that  the  greatest  attention  is  paid  to  the  public 
schools,  those  institutions  where  the  rich  and  the  poor 
meet  on  common  ground,  with  equal  advantages  for  satis- 
fying their  thirst  for  knowledge. 

The  importance  of  education  cannot  be  fully  estimated, 
but  in  these  states  it  is  better  appreciated  than  in  other 
parts  of  the  world.  In  passing  through  their  villages,  we 
see  one  and  frequently  several  school-houses,  and  in  near 
proximity  we  find  the  church  of  God;  for  knowledge  and 
religion  walk  hand  in  hand.  Without  knowledge  we  could 
not  have  a  clear  understanding  of  the  Gospel,  and  without 
that  this  world  would  be  a  world  of  misery  and  crime. 

The  effect  of  education  upon  the  social  character  and 
habits  of  man  is  very  great:  it  eradicates,  or  at  least  softens 
its  turbulent  passion;  it  tends  to  banish  all  angry  feelings 
we  may  cherish  against  one  another,  while  it  nourishes  and 
increases  the  virtues  of  the  heart  and  inculcates  within  us 
the  feelings  of  love  and  sympathy  for  each  other  in  all  the 
various  relations  of  life. 

We,  who  have  enjoyed  from  early  childhood  the  oppor- 
tunities for  learning  to  be  found  in  Boston  and  its  vicinity, 
ought  to  use  our  utmost  endeavors  to  improve  the  numer- 
ous advantages  so  lavishly  bestowed  upon  us. 

Beloved  companions;  who  are  with  me,  to  leave  the 
spot  hallowed  by  many  pleasant  associations  and  who  are 
now  forced  to  bid  farewell  to  our  teachers  and  companions, 
we  cannot  but  regret  that  we  have  ever  misspent  any  por- 
tion of  that  time  which  is  not  ours  and  for  every  moment  of 
which  we  must  render  an  account  to  our  Heavenly  Father. 
Though  we  are  now  to  leave  this  place,  we  must  not  think 
that  our  moral  and  intellectual  education  is  finished,  but 
only  that  the  coner-stone  is  laid,  and  we  have  now  to  rear 
that  fabric  which  will  enable  us  to  lead  a  life  of  usefulness 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL  49 

and  enjoyment  here,  and  prepare  us  for  a  higher  and  nobler 
state  of  existence  beyond  the  dark  precincts  of  the  grave. 

We  are  now  to  separate,  and  it  may  be  never  more  to 
meet  again  in  this  world.  The  parts  which  we  shall  play 
on  the  broad  stage  of  life  may  differ;  some  may  inhale  the 
balmy  airs  of  the  South  and  wander  through  its  spicy 
groves;  some  may  dwell  in  the  cold,  dreary  regions  of  the 
North;  some  may  pass  a  life  of  toil  in  the  far  East,  commu- 
nicating to  the  ignorant  heathen  the  knowledge  they  ac- 
quired here;  some  may  find  a  home  in  the  West,  where  no 
civilized  man  has  yet  lived;  and  the  cold  grave  may  hide  the 
forms  of  some  and  their  souls  be  in  the  spirit-land,  "where 
the  wicked  cease  from  troubling  and  the  weary  are  at  rest." 
But  if  we  chance  to  meet  amid  the  ever  varying  scenes  of 
life,  let  us  take  each  other  by  the  hand  and  sympathize  in 
each  other's  griefs  and  joys  as  we  have  done  so  often  here; 
and  whether  in  prosperity  or  adversity,  let  us  never  forget 
our  school-days  or  our  school-day  friends. 

"Never  forget  the  holy  love 
It  hath  been  ours  to  keep, 
Undimmed  amid  all  toils  and  cares, 
The  true,  the  pure,  the  deep, 
The  trusting  love  of  early  youth, 
Still  fair,  in  its  own  changeless  truth." 

Our  associates  :  who  are  to  remain  yet  longer  as  pupils 
of  this  school,  we  hope  you  will  fill  the  places  which  we 
now  occupy  better  than  we  have  done;  we  hope  you  will 
endeavor  to  lighten,  not  to  add  to,  the  task  of  our  instruct- 
ors. It  is  of  the  utmost  importance  that  you  improve  every 
moment  of  your  time;  your  instructors  are  toiling  inces- 
santly for  your  good,  and  is  it  not  your  duty  to  repay  their 
kindness  by  endeavoring  to  profit  by  the  labor  they  are  be- 
stowing on  you  ?  By  so  doing  you  will  essentially  contrib- 
ute to  the  happiness  of  yourselves  and  friends. 


50  HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL 

You  may  think  it  presumption  in  one  of  your  own  age 
to  speak  to  you  thus,  but  it  is  done,  be  assured,  that  when 
you  leave  you  may  feel  the  consciousness  that  you  have  per- 
formed aright  the  duties  imposed  upon  you  here,  and  be  able 
in  after  years  to  think  with  pleasure  on  the  many  pleasant 
and  profitable  hours  you  have  passed  within  these  walls. 

During  the  last  year  our  band  has  not,  as  formerly, 
been  broken  by  the  "Angel  of  Death,"  yet  the  hour  when 
the  things  of  earth  shall  be  no  more  for  us  may  come  when 
least  expected,  and  we  know  not  which  may  be  called  home 
first,  for  Death  respects  not  persons,  and  though — 

"Leaves  have  their  time  to  fall, 
The  flowers  to  wither  at  the  north  wind's  breath; 
The  stars  to  set — yet  all, 
Thou  hast  all  seasons  for  thine  own,  Death." 

Esteemed  instructors,  who  have  so  long  and  patiently 
borne  with  us;  who  have  often  been  obliged  to  rebuke  us 
for  our  waywardness,  but  always  as  mildly  and  pleasantly  as 
compatible  with  your  duty  and  our  good,  we  now  ask  your  for- 
giveness, for  all  the  wrong  we  may  have  done  here  and  all 
the  anxiety  we  have  caused  you  while  members  of  the  school- 

You  have  untiringly  striven  to  cultivate  our  minds  by 
explaining  the  ever-open  book  of  Nature,  by  leading  us  into 
the  large  and  extensive  field  of  knowledge;  assisting  us  to 
cull  its  choicest  flowers  and  twining  for  us  an  unfading 
chaplet;  by  teaching  to  us  the  general  rules  and  principles 
of  life  and  endeavoring  to  give  that  strength  and  stability 
to  our  characters  which  will  enable  us  to  resist  the  tempta- 
tions and  to  bear  the  various  vicissitudes  of  life,  with  hearts 
grateful  to  our  kind  Benefactor. 

You  have  attended  not  only  to  our  intellectual  but  to 
our  moral  growth;  you  have  turned  our  thoughts  from  the 
contemplation  of  the  beauties  of  Nature  to  the  goodness 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL  51 

and  infinite  wisdom  of  the  Creator;  and  we  shall  ever  look 
back  with  grateful  remembrance  on  those  who  early  taught 
us  the  importance  of  education  and  truth.  Accept  then  our 
hearts'  warmest  thanks. 

Respective  sirs,  you  have  watched  over  the  welfare  of 
this  school  during  the  last  year  with  unremitting  interest 
and  we  cordially  embrace  this  opportuneity  of  tendering 
our  thanks  for  the  kind  attentions  you  have  bestoyed  upon 
us.  Your  predecessors  were,  for  several  years,  guardians 
of  this  school  and  most  faithful  were  they  in  the  discharge 
of  their  arduous  duties;  though  we  were  grieved  when  the 
tie  was  broken  which  connected  them  with  the  Bowdoin 
School,  yet  we  rejoice  that  their  places  have  been  so  well 
filled,  and  we  hope  for  the  prosperity  of  our  institution 
that  you  will  long  continue  to  visit  it  in  your  official  capacity. 

To  our  parents,  brothers,  sisters  and  friends  who  have 
gathered  here  to  witness  our  advancement  since  the  last 
annual  exhibition,  we  would  say,  we  have  been  inspired  with 
confidence  by  your  presence;  we  hope  you  will  look  with 
forgiveness  on  whatever  you  have  seen  amiss.  Remember 
we  have  but  begun  the  great  work  of  education;  that  we 
are  yet  advanced  but  a  few  steps  on  the  ladder  of  learing; 
we  are  conscious  of  our  deficiencies.  If  you  have  seen 
aught  to  gratify  you  in  these  our  humble  performances,  we 
are  repaid  for  all  the  anxieties  of  the  day. 

And  now  remains  to  be  spoken  the  parting  word,  fare- 
well. Its  associations  are  of  grief  and  sorrow,  and  how 
sad  it  is, 

"To  part  when  time 
Has  wreathed  his  tireless  wing  with  flowers: 
'Tis  bitter  now  to  rend  the  heart 
With  the  sad  thought,  that  we  must  part; 
And  alike  some  low  and  mournful  spell, 
To  whisper  but  one  word — farewell." 

Schoolmates,  teachers,  friends,  all — farewell. 


52  HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL 

In  the  afternon  the  city  entertained  all  the  medal 
scholars  and  teachers  in  Faneuil  Hall.  Remarks  were  made 
by  the  mayor,  some  city  officials  and  some  members  of  the 
general  committee,  and  Mayor  Quincy  gave  a  bouquet  to 
each  scholar;  a  banquet  followed  and  all  left  the  "Cradle  of 
Liberty"  tired,  but  oh  !  so  happy  !  The  next  evening  was 
spent  in  the  Public  Garden. 

In  the  Boston  Evening  Transcript,  the  next  clay,  the 
following  notice  was  published:  "Allow  a  few  remarks  re- 
lative to  one  school  at  the  Exhibition  of  which  I  was  present 
Wednesday.  Neither  its  name  nor  that  of  the  pupil  will 
be  mentioned.  There  were  present  a  very  large  auditory, 
during  the  whole  time,  and  before  closing  the  Mayor  made 
his  welcome  appearance.  The  misses  acquitted  themselves 
in  a  highly  respectable  manner.  The  valedictory  by  one 
of  the  elders,  only  (15)  years  of  age,  was  a  beautiful  pro- 
duction, evincing  a  cultivated  mind  and  a  heart  of  pure 
affection.  It  is  my  happiness  to  turn  to  the  original  and 
ponder  over  its  pages,  none  of  which,  not  even  a  line,  is 
without  instruction.  The  farewell  was  touching,  yet  it  is 
not  a  farewell.  If  she  is  destined  to  meet  in  the  future  any 
of  her  former  associates,  she  will  sympathize  in  either  their 
troubles  or  their  pleasures.  She  will  never  forget  her 
school-days.  Although  a  stranger  to  her,  in  concluding 
this  notice,  I  will  say;  may  her  journey  through  life  be  long 
and  tranquil,  when  old  age  shall  creep  along,  let  her  remem- 
ber what  she  said,  'Leaves  have  their  time  to  fall.' " 

A  little  circumstance  occured  in  Faneuil  Hall;  amusing 
to  one  at  least  of  the  participants.  A  group  of  the  Bowdoin 
School  graduates  were  chatting  together,  when  a  gentleman 
stepped  to  them  and  said,  "I  attended  the  Exhibition  of  the 
Bowdoin  School  this  morning  and  was  very  much  pleased 
with  what  I  saw  and  heard,"  and  turning  to  one  of  the 
group,  "I  wish  to  thank  you  for  your  valedictory,  it  was 


HISTORY   OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL  53 

well  worth  hearing."  The  girls  thanked  him,  and  not  hav- 
ing the  slightest  idea  who  he  was,  asked  if  he  would  please 
give  his  name.  He  was  rather  a  short  man,  but  drew  himself 
up  to  his  full  height  and  said,  "George  S.  Hilliard,  Presi- 
dent of  the  Common  Council."  He  was  a  noted  scholar, 
writer,  and  statesman,  but  he  evidently  believed  that  he 
was  honored  by  his  official  position,  and  in  those  days  it 
was  justly  so  considered. 

MEMORIES. 

To  the  Graduates  of  the  First  Quarter  of  a  Century  of  the  Bowdoin 
School,  1821-1846. 

The  fair,  dear  Memories  of  our  childhood, 

Closely  around  our  later  years  twine, 
Soothe  the  pain  and  illumine  the  good. 

That  follow  alway  the  footsteps  of  Time. 

The  sports  of  those  days,  enjoyed  so  freely, 

Rolling  of  hoops,  the  tossing  of  balls; 
Uphill  races — coasting  back  gaily; 

These  bright  scenes,  Memory  clearly  recalls. 

Paddling  in  brooks,  chasing  swift-running  streams; 

Culling  of  posies,  so  brightly  hued; 
Across  grass  or  snow,  sun's  golden  gleams, 

Viewed  in  our  wintry  age,  youth  seems  renewed. 

Glimpses  of  school-life,  to  us  come  anew; 

Love  for  the  dear  guides  of  our  Springtime; 
Earnest  work  and  youth's  friendship  so  true, 

Blessed  our  way  until  the  days  of  our  prime. 

Our  Summer  passed  by,  Memory  doth  show 
Home,  with  its  pleasures,  sorrows  and  love, 

Children,  God's  gifts,  our  hearts  caused  to  glow; 
Some  are  here,  some  dwell  with  loved  ones  above. 


54  HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL 

Then  Autumn  approached,  we  saw  "gates  ajar," 
Stepped  within;  lo  !  soft,  bright  tints  were  there, 

Three  purest  rays  shone  in  from  afar; 

Hope,  faith  and  peace  made  our  sojourn  there  fair. 

Nearly  four-score  years  of  our  lifes  have  passed, 

Now  we  live  amidst  Winter's  white  sun, 
O'er  all  may  Heaven's  love  light  be  cast, 

Making  our  last  our  most  beautiful  time  ! 

Leah  Nichols  Wellington. 


CHAPTER   XI. 


What  a  difference  between  these  simple  exhibitions 
with  the  attending  examinations  and  the  elaborate  gradu- 
ations of  to-day !  Then  the  pupils  were  simply  dressed, 
mostly  in  white,  but  it  was  not  obligatory;  some  appeared  in 
any  pretty  dress  they  might  have;  there  was  no  insistence 
that  everyone  must  wear  white.  No  expensive  bouquets, 
generally  sent  to  the  graduates  by  some  members  of  their 
families,  when  the  children  of  a  few  of  the  parents  who  do 
not  approve  of  it  or  who  can  not  afford  it,  keenly  feel  the 
omission.  There  were  no  printed  programs;  no  piano  so- 
los, as  instrumental  music  was  not  then  taught  in  the 
schools.  As  to  the  flowers,  they  were  probably  afterward 
sent  to  the  children  on  graduation  and  probably  in  excess, 
as  in  June,  1881,  an  order  was  passed  by  the  school  board 
that  no  public  presentation  of  flowers  to  any  pupils  be  per- 
mitted in  our  schools  on  exhibition  day.  Our  graduation 
days  were  ones  of  simple  excitement  and  pleasure,  for 
parents  and  children. 

Quoting  from  a  graduate  of  1841  :  "But  what  good  in- 
struction in  those  days  !  The  Boston  schools  were  far  su- 
perior to  what  they  are  to-day,  it  seems  to  me.  Boston 
was  very  proud  of  her  public  schools  and  I  was  a  loyal 
daughter  and  felt  so  too,  and  even  now,  I  try  some  times, 
to  make  the  present  generation  believe  that  "the  old  was 
better  than  the  new."  Similar  messages  have  been  sent 
from  several  of  the  oldest  graduates,  and  this  opinion  is  still 
held  by  many,  probably  by  a  large  majority  of  the  first 
quarter  of  a  century  graduates:  particularly  by  those  who 
have  watched  the  education  of  children  and  grand-children, 
yes,  great  grand-children,  attending  the  schools,  during  the 

55 


56  HISTORY    OF   THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL 

last  sixty  years.  While  the  sub-committee  was  drawn  from 
the  general  board,  for  each  school  district,  the  Bowdoin 
School,  from  its  locality,  was  always  highly  favored;  it  had 
the  best  men  in  the  city,  that  is,  those  especially  fitted  for 
the  work,  by  education,  position  and  inclination,  to  watch 
over  the  welfare  of  the  school.  The  full  board  in  1846,  the 
quarter  century  year  of  its  existence,  comprised  the  follow- 
ing: Josiah  Quincy,  Jr.,  Mayor,  President  of  the  Board; 
George  S.  Hilliard,  President  of  the  Common  Council,  Sec- 
retary. For  many  years  the  Mayor  of  the  city  and  the 
President  of  the  Common  Council  filled  these  poitions. 

Ward  1.  Rev.  Sebastian  Streeter,  Henry  G.  Clarke. 

Ward  2.  James  U.  Barnes,  Samuel  C.  Allen. 

Ward  3.  Samuel  P.  Simpson,  Moses  E.  Greene. 

Ward  4.  Hiram  A.  Graves,  Ezra  Palmer,  Jr. 

Ward  5.  Frederick  Emerson,  Ninian  C.  Betton. 

Ward  6.  Theophilus  Parsons,  Rev.  Daniel  Sharp. 

Ward  7.  Edward  G.  Loring,  Rev.  Charles  Brooks. 

Ward  8.  Rev.  Daniel  M.  Lord,  Rev.  E.  M.  P.  Wells. 

Ward  9.  Daniel  L.  Coit,  George  F.  Curtis. 

Ward  10.  Rev.  Nehemiah  Adam,  Ezra  Lincoln,  Jr. 

Ward  11.  Rev.  Otis  A.  Skinner,  Charles  C.  Barry. 

Ward  12.  Alvin  Simonds,  Rev.  Theodore  D.  Cooke. 

Theophilus  Parsons,  one  of  the  noted  judges  of  the 
United  States,  with  a  high  reputation  as  an  international 
judge,  Ninian  C.  Betton,  later  a  state  judge,  and  the  Rev. 
Daniel  C.  Sharpe,  D.  D.,  were  the  committee  of  the  Bow- 
doin School,  and  like  their  predecessors,  they  were  inter- 
ested in  the  school,  visiting  it  often,  and  their  visits  were 
always  enjoyed  by  the  pupils,  who  never  said:  "Oh  dear, 
the  Committee  are  coming  to-day,  don't  you  dread  it?" 

We  were  always  expected  to  speak  to  them,  when  we 
met  them  on  the  street  and  when  they  came  to  the  school 
they  would  stop  and  chat  with  us  a  while. 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL  57 

Drawing  seems  to  have  been  one  of  the  optional  studies, 
as  it  was  taught  in  some  schools  and  not  in  others;  it  was 
taught  in  the  English  High  School  as  early  as  1827,  six 
years  after  the  school  was  founded.  It  had  not  been  taught 
in  the  Bowdoin  until  after  1846;  in  1853  a  teacher  was  ap- 
pointed, but  it  was  taken  only  by  pupils  who  seemed  espe- 
cially talented. 

The  first  Derne-Street  building  was  taken  down  in 
1847  to  give  place  to  a  large  stone  reservoir  for  the  Croton 
Water  Works,  to  supply  water  for  the  highest  part  of  the 
city,  in  case  of  fire  or  a  low  supply  of  water.  It  has  been 
stated  that  it  was  never  used. 

A  new  building  was  put  up  for  the  school  on  Myrtle 
street;  during  its  construction,  the  school  was  held  in  the 
Masonic  Temple,  now  Stearns'  Building.  I  give  a  few  ex- 
tracts from  letters  of  pupils  who  attended  the  school  at 
that  time.  "At  recess  we  played  on  the  Common,  guarded 
by  policemen  detailed  for  that  purpose.  At  this  time  there 
was  not  a  single  store  on  Tremont  street  from  Park  to 
Boylston  streets.  Street-car  tracks  were  unthought  of, 
and  the  few  'hourlies'  that  ran  out  of  the  city  went,  I  think, 
on  other  streets.  We  children  ran  back  and  forth  across 
the  street  as  freely  and  safely  as  if  it  had  been  an  ordinary 
village  highway." 

"The  pupils  had  the  privilege  at  recess  of  playing  on 
the  Tremont-Street  Mall  or  promenading  down  Temple 
Place,  as  far  as  the  steps  leading  down  to  Washington 
street.  Ball  playing  was  the  favorite  and  healthful  recrea- 
tion, the  calisthenics  of  those  days." 

"I  do  not  remember  how  long  we  went  to  the  Masonic 
Temple,  but  it  must  have  been  a  year,  for  I  recall  sailing 
sticks  on  the  Frog  Pond  in  summer  and  sliding  on  it  in 
the  winter." 

"When  we  were  in  the  Masonic  Temple,  our  recita- 
tion-room was  in  the  basement  and  had  a  window  opening 


58  HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL 

into  the  passageway  next  to  St.  Paul's  Church.  Warm  af- 
ternoons, the  older  girls  would  get  out  of  the  window  open- 
ing into  the  passage  and  go  for  water,  which  was  always 
welcome.  I  was  in  Miss  Hannah  Andrews'  class  when  we 
went  there.  She  would  read  us  a  nice  little  story  and  I, 
being  the  baby  of  the  class,  sat  in  her  lap." 

At  the  dedication  of  the  new  Bowdoin,  on  May  15,  1848, 
addresses  were  made  by  Mayor  Quincy,  Judge  Theophilus 
Parsons,  Sampson  Reed  and  George  B.  Emerson;  the  two 
latter  were  sub-committee  of  the  school  and  Judge  Parsons 
had  previously  been  one  of  the  committee  for  several  years. 
The  school  accommodated  561  pupils.  From  a  graduate: 
"The  building  was  thought  to  be  a  fine  one.  I  remember 
every  detail  of  its  various  rooms  perfectly.  The  upper 
story  was  one  large  room,  with  windows  on  its  sides,  the 
raised  platform  running  the  whole  length  of  its  northern 
side.  The  views  from  the  north  and  west  windows  were 
extensive  and  interesting.  Master  Andrews'  desk  was 
near  the  easterly,  South  Russell  street  end,  and  there  were 
two  desks  for  assistant  teachers  farther  down  toward 
Buttolph,  now  Irving,  street.  The  piano  and  music  black- 
board were  half-way  down  the  platform,  facing  a  broad 
aisle,  which  terminated  in  a  bay-window  room,  used  for  call- 
ers, and  for  private  admonitory  lectures.  The  assistants 
had,  each,  a  recitation-room,  but  the  master's  class  recited, 
always  standing,  around  the  side  of  the  room.  There  were 
no  closets  or  dressing-rooms;  our  shawls  and  cloaks,  wet  or 
dry,  hung  upon  two  or  three  rows  of  hooks,  which  extended 
along  the  sides  of  the  room.  In  Master  Andrews'  room 
was  a  case  of  shelves  with  a  few  reference  books,  belong- 
ing, I  think,  mostly  to  him  personally,  and  in  Master  Rob- 
inson's room  was  a  similar  case,  containing  philosophical 
appliances  which  would,  I  suppose,  be  looked  upon  as  relics 
now.     In  fact,  all  our  text  books  would  be  curiosities  to  the 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL  59 

school  children  of  to-day.  Our  United  States  History  ter- 
minated with  the  Mexican  War,  and  on  our  maps  of  the 
United  States  all  the  space  between  Missouri  and  Arkan- 
sas to  the  'Cordillera  of  Mexico,'  was  peppered  over  with 
black  spots  and  labelled,  'Great  American  Desert,'  while 
the  western  declivity  was  a  blank,  marked  'Unexplored 
Country.'  " 

During  all  my  school-days  we  were  taught  singing  by 
Mr.  A.  N.  Johnson,  although  Lowell  Mason  (music  super- 
intendent) came  occasionally. 

The  two  lower  stories  were  divided  by  a  partition  with 
sliding  doors.  The  school  was  for  some  years  the  show 
school  of  the  city. 


CHAPTER    XII. 


A  later  graduate  writes  : 

"I  remember  well  when  our  school,  together  with  the 
pupils  of  all  the  other  Boston  schools,  met  upon  the  Com 
mon,  October  25,  1848.  We  wore  badges  of  satin  ribbon 
adorned  with  the  city  seal,  the  name  of  our  school,  and  the 
date  of  the  introduction  of  the  Cochituate  water.  We  went 
to  view  the  procession,  hear  the  addresses  by  Mayor  Quincy 
and  Nathan  Hale  and,  standing  by  the  Frog  Pond,  sang  an 
original  ode  (I  believe  by  James  Russell  Lowell);  I  have  not 
seen  this  ode  for  more  than  forty  years.  After  the  sing- 
ing, the  water  was  let  on  for  the  first  time,  and  the  foun 
tain  in  the  Frog  Pond  rose  in  throbs  to  its  utmost  altitude, 
amid  deafening  applause.  To  our  astonishment,  the  water 
was  at  first  a  deep  brick-red  color,  but  it  soon  became  less 
opaque,  and  at  last  clear  as  crystal"  The  writer  of  this  was 
correct  as  to  her  surmise,  the  author  was  James  Russell 
Lowell.     The  first  and  last  verses  of  the  poem  : 

"My  name  is  Water,  I  have  sped 

Through  strange  dark  ways  untried  before, 

By  pure  desire,  by  friendship  led, 
Cochituate's  Ambassador. 

He  sends  four  royal  gifts  by  me  : 

Long  life,  health,  peace  and  purity." 

"To  free  myself,  to-day,  elate 

I  come  from  far,  o'er  hill  and  meed, 
And  here,  Cochituate's  envoy,  wait 
To  be  your  blithsome  Ganymede. 
And  brim  your  cups  with  nectar  true, 
That  never  shall  make  slaves  of  you." 

Quoting  from  the  same  graduate :  "At  the  age  of  seven 
I  entered  the  lowest  class  of  the  old  Derne-Street  school, 

60 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL  61 

on  the  corner  of  Derne  and  Temple  streets,  having  duly 
graduated  from  the  primary  school  on  the  corner  of  West 
Cedar  and  May  streets,  now  Revere  street.  The  first  class 
of  each  of  the  different  primary  schools  in  the  district  met 
for  examination  in  the  old  Phillips  School  building,  corner 
of  Pinckney  and  West  Centre  (now  Anderson)  streets. 
Having  successfully  passed  the  examination  in  reading, 
spelling,  and  the  multiplication  table,  we  received  a  certfi- 
cate  and  began  our  career  in  the  grammar  school.  Two 
little  incidents  stand  out  in  my  memory  of  those  very  early 
days  at  Derne  street.  One  was,  when  in  single  file,  we 
marched  through  one  of  the  lower  rooms  to  view  a  wedding 
present  which  was  to  be  given  by  the  school  to  a  retiring 
teacher;  the  other  was  when  an  alarm  of  fire  was  given  out 
and  the  rooms  were  full  of  smoke.  As  we  huddled  down 
the  stairway,  I  become  aware  of  a  strange  man  standing  by 
an  open  window  on  the  landing.  Without  ceremony  he 
lifted  me  out  of  the  window  into  the  arms  of  a  fireman  on  a 
ladder,  who  in  turn  passed  me  to  a  third,  who  deposited  me 
safely  on  the  sidewalk  below.  I  must  have  been  nine  or 
ten  years  old  when  the  new  Bowdoin  School  was  opened, and 
from  that  time  I  seldom  missed  a  session.  The  school  was 
for  some  years  the  show  school  of  the  city.  Among  dis- 
tinguished visitors,  I  remember  that  Ralph  Waldo  Emer- 
son brought  Fredericka  Bremer  to  visit  us." 

The  fire  which  the  last  writer  referred  to,  was  the  third 
that  occurred  in  the  Derne-Street  building.  I  continue 
quoting  from  her,  although  it  may  seem  a  repitition  of  what 
has  already  been  given,  for  I  am  sure  it  will  be  gratifying 
to  the  graduates  of  the  school  to  have  the  opinion  of  more 
than  one  person,  showing  the  estimate  of  different  pupils, 
of  different  years,  respecting  the  teachers,  who  by  their 
untiring  work  have  made  the  Bowdoin  School  one  to  be 
proud  of. 


62  HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL 

"Of  the  several  lady  teachers  through  whose  classes  I 
passed  consecutively,  I  have  only  pleasant  memories.  One 
of  them,  Miss  Murdock,  of  the  'Highest  Second,'  always 
seemed  to  me  to  be  the  embodiment  of  wisdom  and  dig- 
nity. I  can  see  her  now,  after  forty-seven  years,  every 
line  of  her  face  and  figure;  the  clear,  steady  eyes;  the  large, 
faultlessly-white  teeth;  and  the  glossy  brown  hair,  always 
worn  in  a  smooth  'French  Twist'  with  a  tortoise  shell  comb. 
Having  passed  through  Miss  Murdock's  division,  we  en- 
tered the  master's  classes.  They  were  called,  regardless  of 
grammar,  the  'Highest  First'  and  'Lowest  First.'  Each  of 
these  classes  were  sub-divided  into  first  and  second  sections 
and  the  average  girl  passed  about  four  years,  from  her 
twelfth  to  her  sixteenth  year,  in  going  through  them.  It 
would  be  impossible  to  find  two  men  more  utterly  unlike 
than  were  these  two  masters  in  appearance,  temper,  raiment, 
manners  and  methods.  Mr.  Andrews  was,  as  he  explained 
to  us  in  one  of  our  anatomy  lectures,  'a  person  of  a  gross 
habit,'  while  Mr.  Robinson  was  spare  to  attenuation.  Mr. 
Robinson  had  a  small  head,  with  closely  cropped  gray  hair; 
little,  restless,  gray,  glittering  eyes;  and  thin  lips,  which 
twitched  incessantly.  We  thought  him  about  seventy-five 
years  old.  As  he  had  middle-aged  children,  he  may  not  have 
been  far  from  that.  He  was  an  expert  in  mathematics  and 
his  handwriting,  even  in  his  old  age,  was  very  elegant. 

"Master  Andrews  was  a  large  man,  who  wore  a  brown 
wig  and  gold-bowed  spectacles.  He  was  probably  as  old  as 
Mr.  Robinson,  but  we  did  not  think  so.  His  word  was 
law  and  his  laws  like  those  of  the  Medes  and  Persians.  No 
girl  ever  thought  of  trying  her  strength  against  his,  but  we 
liked  him,  all  of  us,  and  respected  him.  He  had  a  genius 
for  imparting  the  love  of  study.  The  amount  of  collateral 
information  which  he  imparted  in  the  couse  of  a  recitation 
was  something  wonderful  to  remember.     He  was  especially 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL  63 

strong  in  spelling.  I  never  knew  a  graduate  from  that 
shool  who  was  not  a  good  speller — she  had  to  be.  In  those 
days  there  were  no  colleges  for  girls,  in  fact  there  was  no 
Girls'  High  School  for  them,  but  with  four  years  spent 
with  Master  Andrews  and  the  'American  First  Class  Book' 
I  have  never  felt  myself  an  uneducated  person. 

"I  suppose  we  played  at  recess  much  the  same  things 
that  school  girls  do  now;  but  what  girl  of  to-day  ever  heard 
of  pricking  a  ball  ?  We  did  it  very  often.  I  don't  know  the 
science  of  it,  but  we  cut  a  small  cube  from  a  piece  of  draw- 
ing rubber,  pure  black  gum,  no  sulphur  nor  grit,  and  holding 
it  and  turning  it  constantly  we  pricked  it  all  over  with  a  big 
shawl  pin  or  awl;  it  swelled,  grew  round  and  hollow;  then  we 
cut  a  little  slit  in  it  and  poked  in  little  bits  of  rubber,  sur- 
reptitiously obtained  from  the  edges  of  our  pure  gum  shoes 
probably,  and  repeated  the  process  until  tired.  These  balls 
were  nice,  pretty  and  bounced  splendidly. 

"Another  fad  had  its  fascination  for  a  time.  It  re- 
quired six  actors,  a  short  girl  preferably,  though  height  was 
no  object,  four  tall  girls  for  'lifters'  and  the  sixth  who 
acted  as  mistress  of  ceremonies.  The  short  girl  stood  in 
the  center,  each  of  the  four  lifters  placed  a  fore-finger  of 
one  hand  under  her  arm-pits,  and  under  the  hollow  of  each 
foot.  At  a  given  signal  from  the  leader,  all  five  inflated 
their  lungs  to  their  utmost  capacity  and  the  centre  girl  rose 
into  the  air  as  high  as  our  arms  could  reach,  with  no  appar- 
ent effort  on  the  part  of  anyone.  If  you  laughed  or  let  go 
your  breath,  she  dropped.  This  could  last  only  a  few  sec- 
onds, when  we  expirated  in  unison  and  she  slowly  touched 
the  ground  again.  I  have  since  read  that  this  could  not  be 
done,  but  we  did  it  repeatedly.  It  finally  came  to  Mr.  An- 
drews' ears,  who  forbade  it  peremptorily,  as  dangerous." 

It  is  singular  that  the  descriptions  in  these  last  ex- 
tracts are  very  nearly  the  same  as  I  had  already  given.    She 


64  HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWUOIN    SCHOOL 

is  slightly  mistaken  as  to  the  first  class;  there  were  two  div- 
isions, first  and  second.  The  first  division  would  be  with 
one  master  in  the  morning  session  and  the  second  division 
with  the  other,  for  a  week;  the  next  week  the  first  division 
would  be  with  the  other  master,  and  the  second  division 
would  be  with  the  one  who  first  had  the  first  division  morn- 
ings. There  was  no  way  the  masters  could  carry  on  the 
work  of  four  divisions  unless  the  first  two  divisions,  then 
the  other  two  divisions,  were  out  every  other  day.  If  Mr. 
Andrews'  pupils  were  good  spellers,  "because  they  had  to 
be,"  so  all  of  Mr.  Robinson's  pupils  were  fine  in  penman- 
ship, "because  they  had  to  be."  The  lifting  game,  which 
the  writer  describes,  was  in  vogue  in  1840  and  1841.  I  re- 
member when  my  sister  came  home  and  told  of  it;  of  course 
it  was  doubted;  there  must  be  some  trick  in  it;  but  my  sis- 
ter insisted  it  should  be  tried,  and  it  was  after  a  little  prac- 
tice easily  executed.     It  was  also  played  in  my  day. 

As  to  the  ages  of  Master  Andrews  and  Master  Rob- 
inson, Mr.  Robinson  was  the  elder  by  five  years  and  three 
months. 

A  graduate  of  1850  says:  "I  was  much  attached  to 
good  Mr.  Robinson,  and  from  a  peculiar  little  episode  and 
my  quickness  and  pleasure  in  his  arithmetic,  was  one  of  his 
favorites;  he  on  some  occasions  hearing^  my  lessons  and 
then  giving  up  the  class  to  my  instruction. 

"There  had  been  some  disturbance  of  the  desks  in  his 
schoolroom,  so  one  afternoon  he  remained  in  the  recita- 
tion-room to  assure  himself  who  the  offender  could  be.  At 
early  dusk  I  ran  across  the  room  towards  my  desk,  when  he 
sprang,  caught  and  shook  me.  In  a  moment  he  saw  I 
was  innocent  of  any  mischief,  and  in  regretting  his  haste 
was  always  very  tender  to  me.  Having  used  and  taught 
from  many  other  arithmetics,  I  cannot  remember  if  the 
present  one  is  like  the  one  I  studied,  but  it  is  enough  to 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL  65 

possess  what  bears  his  name.  I've  never  ceased  to  regret 
losing  sight  of  the  one  I  had  when  I  was  taught  by  the  re- 
vered author." 

A  pupil  of  1852  sends  the  following:  "I  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Bowdoin  School  from  my  seventh  to  my  six- 
teenth year.  I  remember  being  handed  out  the  window 
once  when  a  fire  occured  in  the  building  during  school 
hours.  During  these  nine  years  Mr.  Andrews  always 
seemed  the  embodiment  of  wisdom  and  judgment.  I  have 
an  old  copy  of  the  'American  First  Class  Book,'  and  almost 
every  page  suggests  some  well-remembered  comment  or 
criticism  of  his.  'Old  Jacob  Stock,'  'Goody  Blake  and 
Harry  Gill,'  the  'Address  to  the  Mummy  in  Belzoin's  Ex- 
hibition' and  many  other  pieces  bring  back  vividly  his 
look,  tone  and  gesture.  He  was  full  of  information  and 
anecdote,  and  stimulated  our  interest  in  collateral  reading, 
connected  with  the  various  studies  in  his  department.  To 
this  day,  although  it  is  more  than  fifty  years  since  I  last 
saw  him,  I  often  find  myself  recalling,  and  giving  to  others, 
some  useful  bit  of  information  thrown  out  incidently  by 
him  in  those  long-gone  days;  and  I  feel  that  to  him  and  his 
inspiration  I  owe  the  most  of  happiness  found  in  books 
during  many  years  of  invalid  life." 

Another  graduate  of  1852  :  "I  think  we  all  had  a  cer- 
tain satisfaction  in  seeing  'Master  of  the  Bowdoin  School' 
on  the  title  page  of  our  arithmetics."  [referring  to  Mr.  Rob- 
inson's arithmetic].  "Of  the  arithmetic,  after  a  lapse  of 
more  than  fifty  years,  I  remember  only  one  sentence,  and 
that,  I  think,  the  first  in  the  book  :  'Arithmetic  is  the 
science  of  numbers  and  the  art  of  computation.' 

"At  that  time  we  were  using  'Greene's  Analysis  of 
English  Grammar.'  This  book  was  prepared  by  Master 
Samuel  S.  Greene  of  the  Phillips  School,  afterward  Profes- 
sor Greene  of  Brown  University.     Master  Greene  held  the 


66  HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL 

66  history  (•!•'    :n:-.   BOWDOIN  school 

theory  that  there  was  no  need  of  teaching  spelling,  that 
everyone  wo'illd' 'sobneVor  later1  dCqufre tte^  h^Hit1 'of  'srSfeU 
f^'wai^f^dtt'to^Wti^1^^^^^^  reading1.  M 'Mj 
brothers  aW^o^rTeighrJors  k'ttensd^a  WMchobrahWto  tfok 
day, "though1  they  are  'gray -Hea(de(d  busines's'  men','  I^hi'nlc 
they  are  all  mbre  or  less  "dependent1  upon  a  dictionary1  for 
tjierr  spelling;  'Master  Andrews'  of 'th'e'Bowdoin  :!Schbol 
believed  in;  a  thorough1  drilling  in  spelling,' never  intermit- 
ted from  the  lowest  class  !td  the  highest,  and  all  my  scWoj 
friends,  no  matter  ho\V  hard-working br  commonplace"  their 
lives  may  have  been,  were^'and  are,  good  spellers  always. 

"Durihg  these  years  we  used  'Worcester's  Outlines  of 
General  History.' '  We  went  through'  it'  Several  t.irnes  from 
the  'Five' Great  Nations  of  Antiquity'  to  the  Mexican  WaV 
of  i J84S-*  I  remember  little'  or  nothing  of  the  text  of  this 
history,  but'  I  found  the  foot  notes  very  interesting  reading 
and  can  recall  fnany  of  them.  For  instance,  while  we  were 
studying  the  'Wars  of  the  Roses,'  between  the  houses  of 
York  and  Lancaster,  a  foot  note  told  us  of  a  York  lovef 
who  sent  a  white  rose  to  his  sweetheart  with  this  verse : 

'If  this  fair  rose  offend  thy  sight, 
1  It,  in  your  bosom  wear.         " 
•Twill  blush  to  find  itself  less  white 
Ahd  turn  Lancastian  there.'  '  " ' 

This  quotation  has  stuck  in  memory  like  'Thirty  days  hath 
September.'  Also  when  studying  of  'Barebone's  Parlia- 
ment,' we  were  told  in  the  foot  note  of  children  who  were 
named  after  whole  verses  of  Scripture,  one  being  named, 
'If  Christ  had  riot  died  for  our  sins  we  should  have  been 
dammed,'  the  note  stating  that,  for  convenience,  the  child 
came  to  be  commonly  called  only  by  the  last  word  of  the 
verse. 

"The  thorough  study  which  we  made  of  the  'American 
First  Class  Book'  was  an  education  in  itself.     Master  An- 


HISTOKY    <'I?    THE    r.uWDOI.N    SCI!-''0[.  G7 

HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL  67 

(}r  ...vs  u  !.-  ii  t '\e  m  i  »M-.--r  n  • '  .-  mi'  j  t  »."<  i  f 
drews,  made  us  take  an  interest  in  the  subject  matter: of 

our; reading  lessons,,  and  much  of  bfisi  collateral  information 
still  abides  with  me.  I  remember,  we  were  reading  Byr- 
ant's  'To  a  .Waterfowl,,'  and  were  droning  listlessly. through, 
^t  when,  with  a  sudden  start,  Mr.  Andrews  called  out,  'See 
it ! '  at  the  same  time  pointing  to  the  sky  out,  of  the  long 
western,  windows  of  ,the,  school-room.  Every  girl  woke 
up  and  turned  involuntarilly  to  look,  then  as  the  uninmagi- 
native  girl,  whose  turn  it  was,  went,  on  monotonously,  'As 
darkly  painted  on  the  crimson  sky,',  he  threw  down;  his 
book  with  a  groan,  saying  in  a  tone  of  utter  disgust,  'That 
girl  doesn't  see  it.'  Other  text  books  used  ,byus  were 
'Olmsted's  Rudiments  ,of  ,  Natural  Philosophy,'  'Wood- 
bridge's  Geography  and  Atlas,'  and  'Cutter's  Anatomy, 
Physiology  and  Hygiene.'  Colburn's  Mental  Arithmetic 
was  used  regularly  in  addition  to  our  written  arithmetic 
lessons." 


CHAPTER   XIII. 


In  1852  a  leak  was  discovered  in  the  roof  of  the  building. 
In  making  repairs  it  was  found  the  ventilating  plant  had 
never  been  completed;  it  stopped  in  the  attic;  this  was  rec- 
tified. Poor  human  nature!  It  seems  to  have  been  very 
much  the  same  in  the  past  century  as  in  the  present  one. 
Probably  the  citizens  of  those  days  knew  nothing  about  the 
unfinished  work  of  the  building.  If  to-day,  such  a  wrong 
had  been  done  and  been  discovered,  every  parent,  whose 
child  had  attended  the  school  during  the  four  previous 
years,  would  have  heard  of  it  the  same  day  of  its  discovery, 
and  in  their  indignation  that  their  children  had  been  de- 
prived of  the  free  air  for  which  the  city  had  paid  the  con- 
tractors, strong  protests  would  have  been  sent  to  the  city; 
but  in  those  days  telegraphs,  telephones  and  innumerable 
daily  papers  were  not  in  use,  and  probably  many  a  parent 
never  knew  of  the  wrong. 

In  1855  colored  children  were  admitted  to  all  the  public 
schools  of  Boston.  A  large  majority  of  the  colored  people 
lived  on  Beacon  Hill,  in  two  or  three  of  the  streets  sloping 
down  to  Cambridge  street.  The  consequent  increase  of 
pupils  in  the  Bowdoin  School  necessitated  some  addition  to 
the  building,  without  enlarging  it;  the  required  room  was 
obtained  by  a  partition  across  the  large  hall,  thus  gaining 
two  more  rooms,  but  losing  a  fine  hall.  These  rooms,  the 
committee  ordered,  should  be  properly  heated. 

The  following  was  sent  in  by  one,  who  entered  the 
school  in  1852  and  graduated  in  1858:  "I  left  the  Wells 
and  entered  the  Bowdoin  near  the  close  of  Master  Andrews' 
administration,  being  placed  in  the  class  taught  by  his 
daughter  Hannah.     The  large  room  in  the  upper  story  was 

68 


HISTORY    OF   THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL  69 

undivided  by  any  partition  and  accommodated  three  classes 
of  the  reading  department,  as  it  was  called,  of  which  the 
master's  class  was  one.  Miss  Andrews  was  accustomed  to 
take  the  two  sections  of  her  class,alternately,to  the  recitation 
room,  the  other  being  left  to  study  in  the  large  room  under 
the  general  supervison  of  the  master.  If  we,  restless  child- 
ren, trusted  too  much  to  the  belief  that  he  was  too  deeply 
engaged  with  the  recitations  of  his  own  pupils  to  detect  our 
play,  we  were  likely  to  be  startled  by  his  heavy  gruff  voice 
calling  us  to  order.  An  idle  glance  down  to  the  end  of  the 
room  would  generally  show  us  his  portly  form  seated  at 
his  desk,  with  both  feet  resting  upon  it  and  a  smile  wreath- 
ing his  large  mouth.  He  wore  a  wig,  which  was  glossy 
black  and  curly,  and  his  suit  was  invariably  of  clerical  black. 
When  at  the  beginning  of  every  morning's  session,  he  stood 
to  read  the  Scriptures  and  offer  an  extempore  prayer,  his 
tone  and  manner  were  full  of  reverential  devotion.  He  was 
accustomed  to  require  his  reciting  class  to  form  a  line 
around  the  room,  and  on  one  occasion,  when  they  were 
unable  to  give  correctly  the  case  of  a  word  which  they  were 
parsing,  he  was  sorely  tried  at  what  he  freely  called  their 
stupidity  and  affirmed  that  the  little  girls  in  his  daughter's 
class  could  do  better,  calling  upon  me  to  answer  the  same 
question,  to  prove  the  truth  of  what  he  had  said.  I  am  not 
sure  whether  I  had  begun  the  study  of  'Bullion's  Grammar'  or 
not,  but  certainly  I  knew  nothing  about  case,  however  in  idle 
moments  I  had  listened,  as  any  child  will,  to  what  was  going 
on  at  the  other  end  of  the  room,  and  when  thus  suddenly 
questioned,  frightened  by  the  publicity,  and  the  responsi- 
bility of  justifying  the  master,  I  spoke  out  the  only  thing  I 
could  recall  having  heard  the  grammer  class  say,  which  had 
not  been  declared  wrong,  at  this  time,  which  was,  'Nomi- 
native independent  by  direct  address.'  For  this,  I  was 
called  upon  the  platform  to  be  commended,  my  confusion 


70  HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL 

s  all 
being  greatly  enhanced,  by  the  consciousness  that;  it  was  all 

an  untruth  on  my  part  since  I  had  no  knowledge  of  the  subject 
whatever.  In  the  class  of  Miss  Hannah  Andrews  we  began 
the  study  of  history,  using  'Peter  Parley's  text  book,' 
square,  with  green  covers,  two  columns  on  a  page  with 
numerous  pictorial  chapter  headings.  The  only:  teaching 
of  hers  which  I  can  distinctly  recall  is,  that  a  'horizontal 
line  appears  longer  than  a  vertical  one  of  the  same  measure- 
ment.' Her  sister,  Miss  Sarah,  taught  a  younger  class, 
and  my  admiration  was  always  excited  by  a  large  blue 
brooch,  with  a  covered  head,  which  she  usually  wore.  Miss 
Mary  S.  Robinson  was  the  daughter  of  the  old  writing 
master,  Mr.  James  Robinson.  Her  mind  was  as  alert  as 
her  black  eyes  were  shining,  and  the  pain  of  her  crippled 
body  was  sufficient  excuse  for  the  sharp  ring  of  .her  words. 
Heaven  forgive  us  that  we  eluded  her  best  efforts,  laughed 
at  her  embarrassment,  and  rejoiced  wildly  to  pass  beyond 
her  control.  We  called  her  old  and  cross,  when  we  should 
have  been  sympathetic  and  pitiful. 

"Miss  Rebecca  Lincoln  was  of  short  figure,  with 
polished  and  dignified  manners  and  so  gifted  in  drawing, 
that  she  taught  the  two  upper  classes,  as  well  as  her  own. 
She  walked  with  a  rapid  gliding  step,  and  always  carried 
an  ivory  ruler  in  her  thin  hand  as  she  went  about  from  desk 
to  desk  in  the  drawing  hour.  She  helped  those  who  could 
draw  well,  but  seemed  little  interested  in  others,  and  her 
impassivity  did  not  readily  yield,  except  to  a  few  who  were 
enthusiastic  in  her  praise,  while  most  found  her  cold  and 
were  alienated  by  her  quiet  sarcasm. 

"Miss  Mary  A.  Murdock,  fine  Scotch  woman  that  she 
was,  was  nicety  and  integrity  itself.  Her  soft  brown  hair 
was  always  carried  smoothly  below  her  ear,  and  the  open 
neck  of  her  surplice  waist  was  filled  in  with  the  smoothest, 
of  folded  lace.     She  taught  us  exceeding  neatness  in  all  we 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL  7 \ 


die},  and  precision  in  whatever  we  learned.  Can  we  not  for 
trie  moment,  see  her  beautifully  white  and  regular  teeth,  as 
srie  insisted  that  we  must  pronounce  'been'  with  a  pro- 
longed 'e'  just  as  spelled?  On  Monday  mornings  in  her 
class,  we  had  a  lesson  out  of  "The  Manual  of  Morals,'' 
which,  to  most  of  us,  seemed  a  very  stupid  book,  but  some 
others  of  us  enjoyed  it  in  a  small  measure  because  she 
seemed  just  the  woman  to  teach  it.  I  recall  Miss  Sarah 
Mitchell,  the  rythmic  oscillations  of  whose  gait,  prepared 
One  for  the  calmness  of  her  ringlet  framed  face,  on  nearer 
view,  and  the  modulations  of  her  low-toned  voice.  She  was 
a  foil  to  Miss  Robinson,  whose  room  she  shared. 

"With  the  departure  of  Master  Andrews,  disappeared 
the  inconvenient  custom  of  the  pupils  occupying  one  room 
in  the  morning  for  reading  lessons  and  another  in  the  af- 
ternoon for  writing  lessons,  which  necessitated  the  con- 
stant carrying  of  books  forth  and  back.  In  preparation  for 
the  coming  of  his  successor,  Mr.  Daniel  Colcord  Brown,  A. 
M.,  previously  sub-master  of  the  Brimmer  school  for  boys, 
a  partition  was  made  in  the  upper  room  and  the  seats 
throughout  were  turned  around  that  the  light  might  be  be- 
hind the  scholars.  The  new  master  brought  many  novel 
ideas,  which  he  at  once  began  to  use  for  our  benefit,  espe- 
cially in  the  matters  of  map  drawing  and  composition  writ- 
ing. He  had  a  large  ledger-like  book,  into  which  the  very 
best  of 'our  monthly  effusions  were  copied  and  then  read 
aloud  to  the  class.  I  recall  the  longing  I  had,  that  one  of 
mine  might  be  so  honored,  but  cannot  recollect  that  any 
work  of  my  brain  was  ever  there.  Mr.  Brown  tolerated 
nothing  that  interfered  with  study;  taught  us  to  use  books 
of  reference;  gave  us  the  idea  that  the  world  was  larger 
than  our  little  community,  and  tried  to  show  it  to  us  by 
'Familiar  Science'  readings,  by  papers  prepared  from  the 
'Commercial  Encycolpaedia'  and  by  'Imaginary  Travels.' 


72  HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL 

Under  his  instruction  the  Bowdoin  School  became  re- 
nowned for  their  excellent  penmanship.  He  loved  the 
earnest  scholar,  regardless  of  social  standing,  and  knew  how 
to  impart  knowledge.  He  rejoiced  in  every  success  of  his 
pupils,  but  earnestly  discouraged  all  strife  for  position,  aim- 
ing to  send  to  the  High  School  those  who  would  maintain 
the  reputation  of  his  school  for  high  scholarship,  whether 
or  not  they  should  enter  with  the  highest  percentage  of 
any  school  in  the  city.  In  this  he  was  so  successful  that 
the  high  rank  of  the  Bowdoin  School  in  this  particular  was 
unquestioned,  while  but  one  school  ever  excelled  in  the  en- 
trance examinations  and  that  not  invariably.  The  curricu- 
lum was  not  so  bound  by  authority  as  at  present,  and  Mr. 
Brown  found  opportunity  to  teach  us  English,  French  and 
Ancient  History,  with  all  the  departments  of  Physics,  af- 
terwards taken  up  at  the  High  School. 

"One  day  an  attractive  young  lady  visited  the  school, 
and  after  she  had  gone  a  whisper  was  started  by  the  assis- 
tant, Miss  Marcy  Ann  Smith,  and  eagerly  circulated  among 
the  girls,  that  this  was  Mr.  Brown's  'intended.'  Although 
she  never  came  again,  the  topic  of  our  master's  approach- 
ing marriage  was  a  favorite  one.  Early  one  afternoon,  a 
message  came  for  Mr.  Brown,  which  called  him  away  for 
several  days.  On  the  morning  of  his  return,  as  he  was 
about  to  conduct  the  devotions,  he  opened  the  Bible  at 
random  and  read  the  passage  upon  which  his  eye  fell, 
'What  man  is  he  that  liveth  and  shall  not  see  death  ? '  Ab- 
ruptly closing  the  book  he  left  the  room,  followed  by  Miss 
Smith,  a  deep  awe  hushing  us  all.  After  a  long  time  she 
returned  alone  and  told  us,  with  tears,  that  the  young  lady 
had  died,  and  that  it  was  her  illness  that  had  caused  the  re- 
cent absence  of  Mr.  Brown. 

"Mr.  James  Robinson,  who  had  in  his  younger  days 
been  at  the  head  of  the  writing  department  and  who  was 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL  73 

the  author  of  the  Arithmetic  which  we  studied,  was  now  an 
aged  man  and  receiving  a  small  pension  from  the  city,  with 
the  nominal  duty  of  visiting  the  school  at  his  convenience 
to  supervise  the  instruction  in  writing  and  arithmetic. 
Once  or  twice  a  year  he  paid  us  a  visit,  gravely  important 
over  the  discharge  of  his  duties.  One  the  pleasantest  rec- 
ollections associated  with  Mr.  Brown  is  of  his  tenderness 
towards  this  feeble  old  gentleman,  whose  trembling  limbs 
with  difficulty  bore  him  up  the  long  flights  of  stairs,  but 
whose  blue  eye  was  clear  and  cheek  'like  a  rose  in  the 
snow.' 

"A  young  Hindoo,  in  this  country  for  education,  vis- 
ited our  class  one  summer  day  and  in  the  course  of  the  ad- 
dress which  he  was  invited  to  make,  he  described  to  us 
some  of  the  customs  of  his  country.  We  were  especially  in- 
terested in  the  manner  of  drinking  water  by  pouring  it 
from  a  cup  held  at  arm's  length  above  the  mouth,  and 
when  we  went  out  at  recess  the  most  of  the  class  experi- 
mented upon  the  East  Indian  method,  with  such  effect 
upon  our  thin  dresses  as  to  astonish  Mr.  Brown  and  make 
us  extremely  uncomfortable  until  time  for  dismissal. 

"One  day  there  came  a  stranger,  announcing  herself  as 
'Miss  Parker,  a  teacher  of  Mnemonics  from  Paris,'  anxious 
to  secure  pupils  to  form  a  class  by  whose  achievements  in 
memorizing  she  might  secure  others.  Her  singular  cos- 
tume, especially  a  large  hat  with  a  deep  fringe  of  beads 
around  its  drooping  edge,  when  all  other  ladies  wore  bon- 
nets, amused  us,  but  we  thought,  of  course,  it  must  be  the 
latest  French  fashion.  Mr.  Brown  introduced  a  half-dozen 
of  us  to  her  and  arrangements  were  made  for  us  to  learn 
her  method.  When  she  thought  us  reliable,  she  took  us 
to  Harvard  College  where,  in  a  private  room,  students  were 
invited  to  test  our  ability  to  remember  dates  and  discon- 
nected facts,  by  her  method.  I  never  heard  that  the  en- 
thusiastic lady  ever  gained  any  pupils  by  our  help. 


74  HISTORY    OF    THE    BOVVDOIN    SCHOOL 

"Miss  Smith !  modest,  faithful,  ready  to  fit  into  corn- 
ers without  complaint;  she  elevated  our  characters  and 
made  us  more  womanly.  Happy  the  girl  who  could  take 
her  home  to  dine  !  Later  she  became  the  wife  of  Mr. 
Henry  Vennard  of  Lynn  and  had  many  years  of  happy 
married  life. 

"The  first  music  teacher  I  recall  was  Mr.  A.  N.  John- 
son, brother  of  Mr.  J.  C.  Johnson,  who  gave  children's 
Floral  Concerts,  and  brought  over  from  Germany  the 
Christmas  tree.  He  was  followed  by  Mr.  Charles  Butler, 
a  painstaking  teacher  and  a  great  favorite  with  all  the  girls. 
The  hour  of  his  semi-weekly  lesson  was  eagerly  antici- 
pated, yet  so  unscientific  was  the  method  pursued  that  we 
learned  next  to  nothing  in  the  course  of  a  year,  except  to 
sing  indifferently  well  a  few  easy  songs  out  of  the  'Pestolz- 
zian.'  It  was  years  before  I  had  the  slightest  notion  why 
this  peculiarly  hard  name  was  given  to  our  song-book. 

"The  young  girls  of  to-day  would  be  greatly  amused 
with  the  costumes  we  used  to  wear;  the  low  necks  and 
short  sleeves,  even  in  winter;  the  close  bonnets  in  summer, 
and  hoods  with  long  ends  tied  on  the  tops  of  our  heads  in 
winter,  and  the  fantatsic  styles  of  hair  dressing  which  have 
never  come  into  vogue  again. 

"In  1856,  the  statue  of  Franklin  was  erected  in  front 
of  City  Hall  and  the  occasion  of  its  unveiling  was  made  a 
festival,  at  which  several  hundred  school  children  sang, 
seated  upon  a  grand  stand  in  the  City  Hall  yard.  Other 
similar  festivals  were  held  in  Music  Hall  in  honor  of  the 
visit  of  the  Prince  of  Wales,  October,  i860;  and  when  the 
'Oceliaba',  under  Admiral  Lessofsky,  and  other  vessels  of 
the  Russian  fleet,  were  in  Boston  harbor,  their  officers 
were  the  guests  of  the  city. 

"Can  we  leave  the  old  school-house  without  alluding  to 
'Marm  Haywood's'  candy  shop  opposite  ?     Where,   for  a 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL  75 

penny,  we  could  get  two  long  and  very  slender  sticks  of 
lemon-flavored  molasses  candy  and,  if  we  had  any  money 
left,  could  spend  it  on  chewing  gum  or  toys.  The  wind 
blowing  fiercely  up  Irving  street,  made  it  difficult  to  stand 
on  the  icy  sidewalk  in  winter,  and  when  we  opened  the 
tinkling  door  of  the  little  shop  the  gust  took  us  in  without 
ceremony,  showing  us  'Marm  Haywood'  wrapped  in  a 
shawl,  the  exposed  room  being  bitterly  cold  in  spite  of  the 
fire  in  the  stove.  Her  pleasant  voice  gave  us  welcome,  cor- 
dial welcome,  and  her  short  curls,  the  color  of  her  own 
candy,  falling  out  from  under  her  black  cap,  bobbed  about 
her  face  as  she  waited  upon  us.  If  the  monitors  discovered 
our  visit,  we  sometimes  suffered  the  grief  of  temporary  or 
permanent  confiscation  of  our  treasure,  which  was  a  bitter- 
ness not  soon  forgotten." 

A  colored  graduate  of  1859,  the  first  of  her  race  to 
graduate  from  the  Bowdoin  School,  sent  me  the  fol- 
lowing: "When  my  dear  little  mother  and  I  came  to 
Boston  in  1852,  we  found  that  children  of  all  ages 
and  from  every  section  of  the  city  went  to  the  school 
on  Joy  street,  just  below  Myrtle  street,  of  which  Mr. 
Thomas  Paul  was  the  master.  He  was  a  very  severe 
man  and  the  dread  of  my  life.  My  mother  decided  that 
it  was  not  the  place  for  me,  so  after  one  term  I  was  sent  to 
a  private  school,  where  many  of  the  colored  people  who 
could  afford  it  sent  their  children.  The  principal  was  Mr. 
Watkins,  brother  of  Frances  Ellen  Watkins,  who  has  done 
so  much  good  work  as  a  temperance  lecturer.  I  went  to 
the  school  as  long  as  it  was  kept  open.  The  doors  of 
the  public  schools  of  the  city  were  opened  to  all  its  child- 
ren, irrespective  of  race  or  color,  on  the  1st  of  September, 
1855.  I  well  remember  my  mother's  words  that  morning: 
'Come,  Ariana,  you  are  going  to  school  this  morning  to  the 
Bowdoin;  it  is  open  to  all  and  1  want  you  to  enter  to-day.' 


76  HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL 

I  tried  to  persuade  her  to  let  me  wait  until  the  novelty  of 
the  thing  should  wear  off,  but  she  would  not  hear  to  it  and 
my  farther  pleading.  I  started  along  up  the  hill  and,  arriv- 
ing in  ample  time,  found  Master  Brown,  who  gave  me  a 
cordial  welcome  and  directed  me  to  go  upstairs  to  the  top 
floor,  where  all  the  school  seemed  to  have  assembled,  and  af- 
ter some  devotional  exercises,  the  master  made  an  address,  in 
which  he  spoke  of  the  new  element  in  the  school  for  the 
first  time;  that  the  colored  girls  had  a  right  to  be  there,  as 
the  state  had  decided;  that  he  should  show  no  partiality, 
and  hoped  that  nothing  but  kindness  would  be  shown  the 
new  girls.  It  was  my  fortune  to  attend  several  years,  in 
which  time  I  was  made  to  feel  at  home  and  received  the 
utmost  kindness  from  Miss  Hannah  Andrews,  Miss  Mary 
A.  Murdock,  Miss  Rebecca  Lincoln,  Miss  Marcy  Ann 
Smith,  the  teachers." 


CHAPTER   XIV. 


From  a  pupil  of  the  class  of  1858  :  "One  of  the  attrac- 
tions of  the  second  Bowdoin  building,  the  first  on  Myrtle 
street,  was  the  cellar,  cold  and  dark.  One  entered  it  with 
almost  a  shudder,  when  permitted  to  go  alone  to  get  a  drink. 
Almost  in  the  centre  of  the  cellar  was  an  old-fashioned 
pump  with  its  long  handle.  The  water  was  icy  cold  and  mem- 
ory recalls  it  to  be  of  excellent  flavor.  But  various  school- 
girl traditions  of  tramps  hidden  in  the  coal-bins,  made  one 
start  if  a  coal  happened  to  move,  or  a  passing  cloud  sud- 
denly increased  the  shadows,  and  hastened  our  return  to 
the  writing  teacher,  with  a  pitcher  of  refreshing  water.  I 
recall  the  grateful  relief  I  felt  when  I  had  closed  the  door 
at  the  top  of  the  stairs  and  was  once  more  in  the  sunlight. 
The  ascent  of  the  remaining  flight  of  stairs  was  not  so  hur- 
ridly  made. 

"I  remember  with  gratitude  Miss  Clarke,  a  patient 
teacher,  who  could  readily  tell  if  a  girl  turned  around  from 
nervous  forgetfulness  or  from  wilfulness;  Miss  Mitchell, 
with  her  four  slim  curls  on  either  side  of  her  face;  Miss 
Robinson,  a  little  lady  with  a  big  heart  and  very  just  dis- 
cipline, which  won  my  love;  Miss  Hannah  Andrews,  very 
amiable  and  who  had  glossy  black  hair;  Miss  Rebecca  Lin- 
coln, another  little  lady,  always  well  dressed  and  courteous, 
whose  presence  in  all  the  classes,  as  our  drawing  teacher, 
was  welcomed;  Miss  Murdock,  with  the  white  neckerchief 
and  very  strict  ideas,  who  tried  to  lead  our  thoughts  to  right 
motives  in  conduct;  and  Miss  Marcy  Ann  Smith,  who  sat 
in  the  master's  room  with  Mr.  Brown.  When  I  met  her 
at  the  Bowdoin  School  reunion  in  1903,  I  said :  'Miss 
Smith,  I  don't  believe  you  remember  me.'      'Oh,  yes  I  do  ! 

77 


78  HISTORY   OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL 

I  remember  you  well.  I  gave  you  a  misdemeanor  mark 
once  that  you  did  not  deserve,  and  I  learned  it  afterwards 
and  I  regretted  it.     I  am  glad  to  be  able  to  tell  your  so.' 

"Master  Andrews  inspired  confidence,  as  the  follwing 
incident  will  prove.  I  sneezed  in  study  hour.  The  teacher 
of  the  other  class  in  our  room  told  me  to  stand  upon  my  seat 
I  was  surprised,  but  obeyed;  soon  I  felt  faint  and  sat  down. 
She  called  me  to  the  platform.  'I'll  teach  you  to  sneeze  ! ' 
I  said,  '  You  need  not,  my  mother  teaches  me,  I  know  how.' 
In  anger,  she  took  something  from  her  desk  and  told  me  to 
put  it  in  my  mouth.  I  was  so  frightened  that  I  started  for 
the  door  and  when  she  called,  I  would  not  go  back,  and  did 
not  until,  out  of  breath,  I  stood  at  Master  Andrews'  desk. 
'What  do  you  want,  ?  he  asked.  I  told  him  the  whole  story. 
He  said,  'Come  with  me.'  He  took  me  back  to  my  room 
and  said,  'Where  is  your  seat?  Sit  there  until  your  own 
teacher  comes.'  To  the  other  teacher  he  said,  'Come  to 
my  room  this  noon.' 

"The  class  that  graduated  in  1858,  one  morning  at  re- 
cess planned  a  surprise  for  Master  Brown.  Every  girl  in 
the  class  came,  for  the  afternoon  session,  with  hair  done 
up  in  two  pugs  on  the  back  of  her  head.  It  was  agreed 
that  our  conduct  should  be  perfect.  It  was  with  difficulty 
that  one  mother  was  persuaded  to  allow  her  daughter  to 
join  in  the  fun.  When  her  consent  was  gained,  it  was 
near  school-time,  so  when  this  girl  entered  the  school  room 
she  was  the  last  one,  and,  as  she  usually  wore  long  curls, 
the  change  made  it  difficult  for  the  girls  to  keep  their  agree- 
ment and  refrain  from  laughter.  We  had  visions  of  mis- 
demeanor marks,  but  Mr.  Brown  remarked  only  that,  'It  is 
strange  every  girl  in  the  class  had  been  willing  to  join  in 
such  a  foolish  joke,  and  make  herself  look  hideous;  I  should 
have  expected  some  would  have  had  sense  enough  to  re 
fuse.'     As  no  one  ventured  a  reply,  the  joke  passed  with- 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL  79 

out  serious  consequences.  Not  so  the  pranks  of  one  mem- 
ber of  the  class.  We  sat  two  at  each  desk.  Often  she 
would  get  down  on  the  floor  and  creep  from  her  seat  near 
the  back  of  the  room,  passing  between  the  girls  to  the  front 
row,  then  seat  herself  on  the  edge  of  the  platform  directly 
under  Master  Brown's  desk,  and  sometimes  remain  hidden 
through  a  recitation.  Once  a  front  seat  was  vacant;  she 
took  it  and  sat  stroking  her  chin  in  the  way  Mr.  Brown  had 
a  habit  of  doing.  He  watched  her  for  awhile  and  then  said, 
'Miss  E,  do  I  do  that  often?'  'Almost  all  the  time,  Sir,' 
she  replied.  'Stand  !  How  did  you  get  from  the  last  seat 
to  the  front  one  ?  Did  you  creep  ? '  'Yes,  Sir.'  'Go  into 
my  room  and  stay  until  I  call  you.'  It  was  the  first  part  of 
the  session,  and  she  had  to  remain  until  the  others  had 
gone  home.     She  never  graduted." 

From  a  graduate  of  the  class  of  1862  :  "Several  girls, 
four  or  five,  had  a  good  social  time  that  graduation  year, 
and  could  not  give  much  attention  to  their  studies.  They 
were  acquainted  with  some  students  of  Harvard  College, 
were  invited  to  many  of  their  entertainments  and  gave  so 
much  time  to  social  affairs  that,  as  the  close  of  the  year  ap- 
proached, they  realized  that  they  could  not  receive  a  silver 
medal.  They  went  to  a  shoemaker's  shop  in  the  neigh- 
borhood and  had  made  leather  medals  the  size  of  the  city 
medals.  They  bought  some  white  ribbons,  good  quality, 
about  one  and  one-quarter  inches  wide,  and  had  the  leather 
medal  hanging  at  the  waist  line  with  the  ribbons,  by  which 
it  was  suspended,  passed  around  the  neck,  with  bow  and 
ends  fastened  at  the  back  of  the  neck.  After  the  gradua- 
tion exercises  they  mingled  among  the  guests  and  laughed 
and  enjoyed  the  joke  as  if  they  were  genuine  silver  medal 
scholars.  Their  immediate  friends  understood  it,  but  the 
majority  of  the  guests  supposed  they  were  of  the  chosen 
few." 


80  HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWOOIN    SCHOOL 

"Natural  philosophy  and  physiology  were  not  required 
to  be  taught  in  the  highest  class  ot  the  grammar  schools. 
It  was  left  optional  with  the  master,  and  Mr.  Brown  taught 
them.  He  thought  it  was  well  for  us  to  get  some  idea  of 
these  subjects. 

"At  the  High  School,  when  Mr.  Seavey  wanted  papers 
copied  or  letters  written,  he  called  the  Bowdoin  girls  to  the 
reception  room  and  requested  them  to  do  the  writing.  He 
said  their  writing  was  similar  and  all  the  letters  appeared 
to  be  written  by  one  person. 

"Mr.  Brown  made  a  great  effort  to  prevent  the  schol- 
ars from  bringing  candy  into  the  school  when  he  first  came 
to  the  Bowdoin,  and  really  cut  into  the  business  of  the  little 
candy  store  on  Myrtle  street,  so  that  the  woman  closed 
her  store." 

A  graduate  of  1864  contributes  the  following:  "My 
class  was  one  of  the  war-time  classes.  I  remember  that 
at  the  very  beginning  of  the  war  we  raised  money  for  a 
flag  and  made  comfort  bags  for  the  soldiers. 

"Later  we  had  clubs,  the  members  of  which  wore 
shields  of  red,  white  and  blue  and  adopted  secret  patriotic 
mottoes.  I  remember  my  own,  'Iustum  bellum  iniustae 
paci  praeferimus.'  From  '61  to  '64  bean-bags  was  a  favorite 
game,  the  girls  organizing  in  clubs  for  it.  My  only  other 
distinct  recollections  of  games  or  sports,  are  connected  with 
the  glowing  furnaces  in  the  cellar,  in  front  of  which  we 
used  to  gather  and  roast  apples  drawing  them  out  with  the 
janitor's  poker.  The  pump  was  worshipped  with  as  much 
devotion  as  the  pump  in  the  yard  of  Harvard  College.  No- 
where else  in  our  young  view,  was  such  cold  and  refreshing 
water  to  be  found.  I  have  often  wondered  from  what  source 
it  was  supplied.  Was  it  one  of  the  famous  springs  with 
which  the  hill  abounded  when  first  settled  ?  It  was  not 
unusual  for  girls  to  spend  three  years  in  the  master's  room. 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL  81 

Any  faithful  scholar  who  did  this,  left  the  school  not  only 
well-fitted  to  enter  the  High  School,  but  with  sufficient 
training  and  knowledge  to  fill  a  useful  place  in  the  world. 
Our  studies  included  not  only  the  usual  grammar  school 
subjects,  but  English  history,  natural  philosophy,  physiol- 
ogy and  physical  geography.  Add  to  this  a  careful  training 
in  English,  which  laid  a  solid  foundation  for  future  reading, 
and  it  can  be  seen  that  a  diploma  or  medal  from  the  Bowdoin 
School  meant  a  great  deal.  Another  point  which  seems 
worth  noticing,  is  the  interest  which  used  to  be  shown  by 
prominent  citizens  in  the  schools. 

"Mr.  Russell  Sturgis,  Dr.  Le  Baron  Russell,  Dr.  Samuel 
Upham,  Dr.  Lamson  and  others  were  on  our  committee, 
and  their  visits  were  a  pleasure  and  inspiration." 

Of  Mr.  Brown  she  says:  "I  consider  him  a  distinctly 
formative  influence  in  my  life.  Miss  Harriet  M.  E.  Choate 
also  was  very  much  to  our  class  and  had  the  power  of  stim- 
ulating interest,  and  leading  the  girlish  mind  out  into  new 
paths."  Mrs.  Choate  Goodhue  now  resides  in  Auckland, 
New  Zealand;  a  letter  from  her  is  given  later. 

VALEDICTORY  BY  EMMA  GALE,  JULY  24,  1865. 

Since  the  last  time  we  met,  as  we  meet  at  this  season, 
What  changes  have  passed  o'er  the  land  where  we  dwell  I 
Our  Nation  has  triumphed  in  the  contest  with  treason, 
And  gladly  the  anthems  of  victory  swell ! 

Oh  !  long  did  the  war-clouds,  their  shadows  cast  o'er  us, 
Threatening  our  Liberty's  star  to  obscure; 
But  while  e'en  one  ray  cheered  the  pathway  before  us, 
We  could,  for  its  sake,  trial  and  sorrow  endure. 

Fierce  was  the  conflict,  through  which  we  were  guided, 
While  seeking  to  keep  that  star  ever  in  view; 
But  the  Union,  by  traitors,  can  ne'er  be  divided, 
When  guarded  by  some  who  are  loyal  and  true. 


82  HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL 

Those  soldiers  of  Freedom,  her  fair  banner  bearing 
Mid  wild  scenes  of  battle,  defended  it  well; 
Now  every  star,  a  new  lustre  seems  wearing, 
And  every  stripe,  of  their  deeds  seem  to  tell. 

And  too,  other  records,  our  banner  is  keeping! 

Each  emblem  of  union  must  ever  recall 

Thoughts  of  the  friends,  now  in  death's  embrace  sleeping, 

Who  went  forth  for  freedom,  to  conquer  or  fall. 

We  miss  them  at  morning,  at  noontide,  at  even; — 
Though  lonely  our  homes,  in  our  hearts  still  they  dwell, 
Their  lives  to  their  Country,  were  cheerfully  given; 
We  morn  for  the  loved  ones, — and  yet  all  is  well. 

And  now  while  we  sorrow,  that  death  must  divide  us, 

We  mourn  as  a  Nation,  for  one  who  no  more 

Through  storm  and  through  sunshine,  in  safety  shall  guide  us, 

But  his  influence  lives,  though  his  life  work  is  o'er, 

Henceforth  may  our  country,  now  rescued  from  danger, 

Secure  in  the  love  of  her  children  e'er  stand, 

Old  Rome  is  no  more,  yet  it  was  not  a  stranger, 

But  treacherous  sons  that  brought  death  to  that  land. 

But  while  o'er  the  Nation,  the  year  that  is  closing, 
Both  seasons  of  peril  and  victory  cast, 
'Till  Columbia,  free  from  her  foes,  is  reposing; — 
O'er  our  happy  school  circle  few  changes  have  passed. 

Dear  Classmates,  we  now  for  the  last  time  are  meeting 
In  this  place,  where  so  often  we've  gathered  before, 
In  the  hours  of  the  past,  that  were  pleasant  and  fleeting, 
To  seek  for  rich  treasures,  from  wisdom's  vast  store. 

Oh!  bright  was  that  time,  when  there  clustered  around  us 
The  sweet  joys  of  friendship,  the  teachings  of  truth, 
And  though  other  scenes  in  the  future  surround  us, 
We  e'er  shall  remember  the  days  of  our  youth. 

And  often,  in  coming  years  shall  we,  with  pleasure, 
Turn  to  the  sunlight  of  Memory's  cline, 
And  list  to  her  voice,  like  some  sweet  pensive  measure, 
That  speaks  to  the  heart  through  the  vista  of  time. 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL  83 

Dear  Schoolmates,  who  soon  will  succeed  to  our  places, 
Be  earnest,  and  strive  to  do  each  duty  well, 
That,  as  untiring  time,  each  day's  history  traces, 
The  record  of  some  new  improvement  may  tell. 

Be  one  to  another  e'er  kind  and  forgiving, 
Let  truth,  be  your  watchword  whereever  you  go. 
And  thus  while  true,  unselfish  lives  you  are  living, 
The  highest  enjoyment  you  surely  will  know. 

Kind  Teachers,  as  now  from  this  place  we  turn  sadly, 
We  thank  you  for  all  your  unwearying  care, 
For  lessons  of  truth  and  of  wisdom,  which  gladly 
We  ever  have  here  been  permitted  to  share. 

The  world  lies  before  us,  with  joy  and  with  sorrow; 
Uncertain  it  is  where  our  pathway  may  lead, 
But  ever,  though  wearied  with  care  for  to-morrow, 
From  Memory's  page,  your  words  we  may  heed. 

There  is  from  your  number  one  face  that  is  missing, 

A  friend  is  absent  at  this  festal  hour, 

She  has  gone  to  a  land  where  bright  sun  beams  are  kissing, 

The  blossoms  of  many  a  tropical  flower. 

May  the  new  scenes  of  action  on  which  she  has  entered, 
A  source  of  ne'er  failing,  true  happiness  prove, 
And  may  there  e'er  be,  round  her  future  path  centered, 
The  sunlight  of  friendship,  of  peace  and  of  love. 

And  memories  pleasant  we  ever  shall  cherish 
Of  her,  who  now  occupies  that  teacher's  place; 
And  of  life's  purest  pleasures  that  never  may  perish, 
We  shall,  midst  the  sweetest,  her  friendship  retrace. 

Kind  Sir,  for  your  precepts  of  wisdom  and  duty, 

Accept  now,  our  gratitude,  lasting,  sincere; 

They  have  thrown  round  the  pathway  of  learning  fresh  beauty 

To  grow  fairer  and  brighter,  with  each  coming  year. 

Gentlemen  of  the  Committee — we  have  ever 
Received  many  proofs  of  your  interest,  so  true; 
To  repay,  by  improvement,  has  been  our  endeavor, 
And  we  tender  our  thanks,  most  sincerely  to  you. 


84  HISTORY    OF   THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL 

Permit  us  the  hope  to  express,  that  each  blessing 
Which  we  have  enjoyed  our  successors  may  share, 
And  may  this  school,  e'er  in  the  future,  possessing 
Guardians  like  you,  have  the  same  faithful  care. 

Dear  parents  and  friends,  many  words  you  have  spoken, 
Of  cheer  and  of  counsel,  in  days  that  have  flown, 
And  we  feel  that  your  presence  now  is  but  a  token 
Of  the  untiring  interest  you  ever  have  shown. 

Oh !  hard  'tis  to  utter  the  word  that  must  sever 
Onr  joys,  but  no  more  we  together  may  dwell, 
May  we  meet  in  that  land  where  partings,  come,  never, 
Dear  Teachers,  Companions  and  Friends,  farewell. 


CHAPTER   XV. 


Graduating  exercises  of  Class  of  1866,  the  last  year 
that  the  City  Medals  were  given  out,  copied  from  a  Boston 
paper  of  that  year: 

"The  annual  exhibition  of  this  well-conducted  school, 
Daniel  C.  Brown,  master,  took  place  this  forenoon  in  the 
large  hall  of  the  school-building  on  Myrtle  street.  Not- 
withstanding the  inclement  weather,  there  was  the  usual 
crowded  attendance  of  visitors.  The  exercises  were  con- 
ducted by  the  principal  and  consisted  of  recitations,  reading, 
compositions,  interspersed  with  music  and  singing.  The 
questions  propounded  were  answered  with  promptness  and 
accuracy,  that  showed  that  the  scholars  had  studied 
assiduously  under  competent  teachers.  This  school 
has  always  excelled  in  penmanship,  and  specimens  shown 
us  evinced  a  remarkable  degree  of  progress  in  this  accom- 
plishment. The  singing  and  reading  of  Miss  A.  L.  Dan- 
forth  was  excellent  and  well  received.  The  music  and  sing- 
ing were  directed  by  Mr.  Sharland,  which  is  sufficient 
guaranty  of  its  excellence.  Dr.  Lamson,  Chairman  of  the 
school  committee,  and  Aldermen  Slack  and  Gifford  were 
among  those  present.  The  exercises  closed  with  the 
awarding  of  the  medals  and  diplomas." 

The  following  gives  an  account  of  the  unpleasant  occur- 
rences, which  sometimes  take  place  during  school  life: 
"My  impression  of  my  first  teacher  when  I  entered  was,  that 
she  enjoyed  using  the  rattan.  I  remember  one  day  when 
she  put  several  sums  on  the  board,  for  us  to  copy;  I  sat 
somewhat  back  in  the  room  and  had  leaned  forward  over 
my  desk  to  see  better.  The  teacher  spoke  to  me,  telling 
me  to  sit  down,  it  was  not  long  before  I  was  up  in  the  same 

85 


86  HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL 

position  again,  then  she  said  'Miss  B — if  you  get  up  again 
I  shall  send  you  to  the  ante-room.'  I  was  so  interested  in 
my  work,  that  it  was  not  long,  before  I  received  the  threat- 
ened punishment.  In  the  first  Bowdoin  building  on  Myrtle 
street  there  was  a  double  door  in  the  centre  of  the  building, 
that  was  seldom  used,  (the  girls,  entering  the  school  from 
two  end  doors);  the  large  entryway  had  no  light  but  a  long, 
narrow  window  at  the  top  and  on  either  side  were  long 
wooden  umbrella  racks,  extending  to  the  doors  that  entered 
the  school-rooms.  This  was  where  I  was  sent  for  punish- 
ment. After  waiting  sometime  I  was  horrified  (being  a 
bashful  child)  to  see  the  teacher  enter,  rattan  in  hand.  She 
applied  it  vigorously  to  my  shins  and  ankles  and  I  danced 
about,  finally  climbing  on  to  the  umbrella  racks  to  get  out 
of  her  way.  While  in  her  class,  I  had  another  whipping  for 
a  slight  misdeaneanor,  but  never  received  like  punishment 
in  any  other  class.  Two  of  the  other  teachers  sometimes 
used  the  rattan.  One  of  the  teachers  was  inclined  to  favor- 
itism, and  of  course  it  often  caused  jealousy  on  the  part  of 
the  pupils.  One  day,  while  in  Miss  Young's  class,  one  of 
the  girls  became  the  possessor  of  a  pair  of  roller  skates,  so 
one  afternoon,  just  before  the  school  opened,  we  heard  a 
dreadful  clatter  coming  from  the  hall.  The  girl  had  walked 
up  two  flights  of  stairs  and  came  sailing  in,  down  the  aisle 
and  round  the  room;  of  course,  Miss  Young  was  speech- 
less for  a  second,  then  she  arose  and  striking  on  her  desk 
with  her  ruler,  called  us  to  order  and  commanded  the  pupil 
to  remove  her  skates,  take  them  home  and  remain  there 
until  she  could  be  a  young  lady.  So  the  skates  were  taken 
off  and  she  walked  out  of  the  room  laughing  and  waving 
them  to  the  girls." 

In  .1866,  the  City  Medals  were  given  out  for  the  last 
time  to  the  girls.  Now,  instead  of  six  medals  being  given 
out,  every  girl  in  a  graduating  class,  is  given  a  diploma,  if  she 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL  87 

had  accomplished  the  work  necessary  to  obtain  one.  There 
has  been  at  times  much  written  for  and  against  the  practice 
of  giving  rewards  for  good  scholarship  and  deportment  to  a 
small  number  of  a  class.  One  objection  offered  was  that  in 
a  class  of  about  fifty  pupils,  in  about  twenty  of  them  the 
difference  in  their  merit  was  very  slight;  six  to  whom  med- 
als had  been  awarded  may  have  been  exceptionally  bright, 
alert,  girls;  the  remainder  of  the  twenty,  not  quite  so 
bright  and  keen  of  comprehension,  yet  by  persistent,  careful 
effort  fell  only  a  few  marks  short,  of  their  successful  com- 
panions. There  were  two  cases,  in  one  year  in  the  Bow- 
doin  and  one  case  two  years  before,  when  a  girl,  to  whom  a 
medal  was  to  be  given,  was  asked  to  yield  it  to  another 
girl,  by  the  master,  presumably  at  the  suggestion  or  at  least 
with  the  consent  of  the  committee.  The  reason  given  was, 
that  the  girl  to  whom  a  medal  had  been  awarded  could,  ac- 
cording to  the  rules,  remain  two  years  longer,  while  the 
other  girl  could  not  attend  another  year.  That  the  com- 
mittee and  master  felt  justified  in  taking  such  a  step  proves 
that  the  actual  standing  between  the  two  candidates  must 
have  been  very  slight.  It  was  often  said  that  the  awarding 
of  medals  to  pupils  caused  many  of  them  to  suffer  from 
over-study  and  anxiety;  that  it  created  envious  and  bitter 
feeling  among  classmates,  and  then  there  was  the  usual 
cry  of  favoritism,  Many  years  ago,  two  families  from  the 
same  neighborhood  in  the  country  came  to  the  city,  one  a 
few  years  before  the  other.  The  second  family  chanced 
to  move  into  the  immediate  neighborhood  of  their  old 
neighbors.  One  day,  the  mother  of  the  second  family  re- 
marked that  they  moved  to  the  city  for  the  better  educa- 
tion of  their  children.  With  considerable  decision  of  man- 
ner, showing  much  feeling,  her  friend  said,  "You  needn't 
expect  your  children  will  get  medals,  for  they  are  not  given 
out  fairly."     Three  of  her  children  had  graduated  without 


88  HISTORY    OF   THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL 

medals.  The  other  mother  replied,  "We  have  not  thought 
of  medals,  but  we  desire  the  best  possible  advantages  for 
our  children."  Three  years  after,  her  only  boy  and  her 
eldest  girl  took  medals  at  the  grammar  schools  on  the  same 
day,  and  four  years  afterward  he  took  a  medal  at  the  Eng- 
lish High  School,  and  the  next  year  the  other  daughter 
took  one  from  the  grammar  school.  The  parents  felt  that 
the  children  must  have  earned  the  rewards,  as  they  were 
strangers  in  the  city. 

All  graduates  who  have  received  medals  are  proud  of 
them;  feel  they  earned  them;  cherish  them  and  take  great 
pleasure  in  saving  them  for  their  children. 

In  1873,  there  seemed  to  be  almost  the  first,  or  perhaps 
a  new,  revival  of  alumnae  reunions  of  public  schools  and 
some  of  the  graduates  of  the  Bowdoin,  chancing  to  meet, 
planned  a  reunion  of  the  graduates  of  that  school  for  the 
renewal  of  old  friendships  and  incidentally  to  raise  a  fund 
for  Mr.  Robinson,  who.  was  then  nearly  ninety-two  years 
old  and  in  somewhat  straitened  circumstances.  The  re- 
union was  a  success,  but  as  the  names  of  only  a  compara- 
tively few  of  the  graduates  could  be  obtained,  a  small  sum 
was  given  to  Mr.  Robinson. 

Although  so  old,  he  seemed  to  have  retained  the  use 
of  all  his  faculties.  He  was  slightly  deaf,  his  eyesight  clear 
and  his  memory  quite  wonderful.  I  had  not  seen  him 
since  graduation  day,  1846.  As  I  spoke  to  him,  I 
remarked !  "Of  course  you  do  not  know  me,  but  per- 
haps you  will  remember  my  sister,  who  died  the  month 
before  my  graduation,  Miss  Nichols."  He  instantly 
said,  "I  remember  you  both  perfectly;  her  name  was  Mary," 
and  then  called  me  by  name  and  said,  "you  used  to  do  so 
and  so  for  me,"  then  he  spoke  of  my  sister's  class  and  my 
class.  A  graduate  of  1840  gives  the  following  account  of 
the  reunion:     "Mrs.  Batholmy  Mozart,  Mrs.  Mary  Scates- 


J 

/     / 

. 

DANIEL   C.  BROWN. 


HISTORY    OF   THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL  89 

Barry  and  Miss  Abell,  all  of  whom  had  been  pupils  of  the 
school,  furnished,  as  soloists,  the  musical  entertainment. 
Dr.  Blagden,  whose  name  was  on  the  programme  and  was 
to  offer  prayer,  did  not  come  and  Rev.  L.  H.  Winkley  filled 
his  place.  I  can  recall  but  one  speaker,  though  I  think 
several  spoke.  That  one  was  Rev.  Mr.  Morong  of  Ipswich. 
Mrs.  Jane  Jones-Morong,  Mrs.  Anne  Stearns-Simmons  and 
my  sister,  Miss  Maria  Whitwell,  arranged  the  affair. 
George  S.  Hilliard  had  been  engaged  to  speak.  He  came 
into  the  hall,  Wesleyan,  and  waited  some  time.  He  was 
either  impatient  of  the  delay,  or  had  other  engagements,  as 
he  left  without  speaking.  I  think  the  reunion  was  a  de- 
cided success.  The  older  graduates  were  not  long  in  find- 
ing out  their  companions.  Time  had  dealt  tenderly  with 
most  of  us,  and  soon  we  recognized  each  other,  although  more 
than  a  score  of  years  had  elapsed  since  we  had  looked  into 
each  other's  faces.  The  younger  graduates  seemed  to  en- 
ter with  a  great  deal  of  gusto  into  the  enjoyments  of  the 
evening.  There  were  no  periods  of  oppresive  silence,  no 
groups  of  silent  observers,  standing  in  a  row  at  the  back  of 
the  hall,  as  one  sometimes  sees  on  similar  occasions,  but 
the  spirit  of  social  converse  was  rife,  and  the  sound  of  many 
voices  heard  at  any  part  of  the  room  "fell  pleasantly  on  the 
ear."  Mr.  Robinson's  daughter  Mary  was  with  him.  Miss 
Murdock  was  there  and  three  sisters,  Mrs.  Sarah  Mitchell- 
Judkins,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Mitchell-Littlefield  and  Miss  Mary 
Mitchell,  all  graduates  of  the  school,  and  the  first  two 
"teachers." 

The  following  poems  were  sung.  The  first  was  writ- 
ten by  Mrs.  Caroline  Metcalf-Plummer;  the  second  by  Mrs. 
Susan  Whitwell-Leeds. 

First  Song.— Tune,  "Auld  Lang  Syne." 

"We've  lingered  in  our  pilgrimage 
Each  other's  way  to  cheer, 


90  HISTORY    OF   THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL 

To  glean  a  line  from  Memory's  page 

And  sing  of  friendship  dear. 
As  swiftly  on  the  wings  of  time, 

Our  souls  are  borne  along, 
Full  many  a  strain  of  'auld  lang  syne' 

Shall  mingle  in  our  song. 

We  plucked  the  buds,  from  childhood's  tree, 

The  flowers  which  youth  uprears; 
They've  shed  a  fragrance,  pure  and  free, 

Though  watered  oft  by  tears; 
And  fast  secured  by  Memory's  chain, 

The  treasures  of  the  past, 
They'll  brighten  oft  life's  toil  and  pain, 

And  gleams  of  radiance  cast. 

We  sing  to-day  of  schoolmates  loved, 

Of  teachers,  kind  and  true, 
Whose  honored  words,  by  time  approved, 

Inspire  our  hearts  anew. 
And  as  together  here  we  stand, 

And  memories  fond  rehearse, 
Sweet  whispers  from  the  silent  land 

Are  echoed  in  our  verse. 

As  now  along  the  path  of  life 

Our  narrow  ways  we  tread, 
One  thought  we  share,  with  pleasure  rife, 

By  Memory's  finger  led. 
And  if,  on  Alma  Mater's  shrine 

Our  flowers  once  more  we  lay, 
We'll  sing  again  of  'auld  lang  syne' 

And  loving  tribute  pay." 

Second    Song.— Tune,   "I    Remember,   I    Remember,"   or  "Annie 
Laurie." 

Fondly  now,  dear  Alma  Mater. 

Let  thy  grateful  children  come, 
And  with  happy  voices  thank  thee 

For  thy  cordial  welcome  home. 
While  each  child  thy  blessing  shareth, 

We'll  bid  sadness  wing  its  flight, 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL  91 

And  the  burden  each  one  beareth, 
Drown  in  Lethean  streams  to-night. 

We'll  recall  our  early  gleaning, 

'Mid  the  shining  fields  of  thought, 
And  forget  the  deeper  meaning 

Of  the  lessons  life  hath  taught. 
We  will  gaze,  with  childhood's  vision, 

On  a  clear  and  cloudless  sky; 
Dream  again  youth's  dream  Elysian, 

That  was  ours  in  days  gone  by. 

While  the  soul  is  joy  receiving, 

At  this  hour  with  pleasure  ripe, 
Love  a  golden  thread  is  weaving 

In  the  web  of  coming  life. 
Through  the  future's  opening  vista 

We  can  see  both  smiles  and  tears, 
But  we'll  claim  each  new-met  sister 

As  the  friend  of  after  years. 

Dear  old  Bowdoin!  strength  and  beauty 

Weave  thy  future  crown  for  thee; 
Evermore  to  truth  and  duty, 

Let  thy  children  loyal  be. 
For  the  fulness  of  thy  giving, 

While  we  thank  thee  here  to-night, 
By  pure  thought  and  noble  living, 

We  will  keep  thy  name  still  bright. 

The  following  report  of  Dr.  Jeffries,  the  noted  eye- 
specialist,  is  inserted  as  an  extremely  interesting  article, 
and  an  inportant  one  to  teachers.  On  May  14,  1878,  Dr. 
Jeffries,  by  a  vote  of  the  Boston  School  Board,  received  per- 
mission to  test  the  color  perception  of  the  pupils  of  the 
schools  at  such  place  and  time  as  would  be  convenient  to 
the  members  of  the  schools.  He  reported,  "Under  this  and 
a  previous  permission,  I  have  applied  the  test  for  color- 
blindness of  Prof.  Holmgren  of  Upsala,  Sweden,  to  14,732 
scholars  of  our  public  schools.      As  this  is  about  one-half 


92  HISTORY    OF   THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL 

of  my  contemplated  work,  and  as  it  is  drawing  towards  the 
end  of  the  school  year,  I  would  herewith  report  my  present 
results.  I  have  tested  boys  of  the  Latin  School,  English 
High  School,  all  the  high  schools  and  fourteen  grammar 
schools.  I  found  only  361,  or  3.88  per  cent,  in  greater  or 
less  degree  color-blind.  I  have  tested  the  girls  of  all  the 
high  schools  and  eleven  grammar  schools.  I  found  two,  or 
0.36  per  cent  color-blind  in  any  degree.  The  percentage  is 
rather  larger  for  the  boys  and  rather  smaller  for  the  girls 
than  has  been  found  in  Europe  by  the  best  observers,  who 
add  their  results  together  and  thus  bringing  their  num- 
ber up  to  my  present  one. 

"Color-blindness,  when  congenital,  is  not  curable  and 
the  color-sensation  does  not  alter  through  life.  Hence  the 
statistics  gathered  from  the  schools  apply  to  the  whole 
community.  We  may  conclude  that  one  male  in  twenty  is 
color-blind  and  that  it  rarely  occurs  among  females." 

Dr.  Jeffries  gave  a  very  careful  and  exhaustive  ac- 
count of  color-blindness,  which  it  would  be  well  for  every 
parent  and  teacher  to  read,  understand  and  practice  in  edu- 
cating children.     I  regret  it  is  too  long  to  publish  here. 


CHAPTER   XVI. 


1880. — Valedictory. — Lulie  Brooks-Collins. 

In  whatever  direction  we  look,  we  cannot  fail  to  notice 
a  characteristic  tendency  of  the  times  towards  an  advance- 
ment in  Knowledge;  an  improvement  in  the  methods  of  ac- 
quiring it,  and  a  higher  mental  development.  This  assertion 
is  true  in  its  application  to  the  physical,  intellectual  and 
moral  world.  In  sympathy  with  this  onward  movement,  the 
past  few  years  of  our  school-life  has  been  spent  for  the  pur- 
pose of  attaining  that  degree  of  intellectual  culture,  which 
in  our  age  and  time  is  thought  desirable.  And  now  that 
this  day  ends  one  period  of  our  endeavors  in  the  pursuit  of 
knowledge,  it  seems  fitting  that  we  pause  a  moment  and 
consider  some  of  the  purposes  and  benefits  of  this  intellec- 
tual culture. 

Education  is  the  development  of  the  mind.  A  good 
education  is  a  very  important  acqusition.  It  not  only  fits 
one  for  society,  but  for  the  various  duties  and  employments 
of  life.  Education  does  not  end  with  the  schools,  nor  is  all 
education  conducted  within  the  school-room.  The  great 
work  of  self-culture  remains  to  be  carried  on  long  after 
masters  and  teachers  have  finished  their  labors  and  ex- 
hausted their  arts.  And  no  small  part  of  this  work  is  to 
be  pursued  by  the  aid  of  good  books. 

Civilization  is  essentially  dependent  for  its  progress 
upon  the  labors  of  those  who  have  wrought  out  problems 
in  the  various  departments  of  thought,  and  whose  collected 
wisdom  in  books  is  the  common  fountain  from  which 
each  succeeding  generation  drinks.  I  need  hardly  say,  that 
the  liability  of  our  Mother  City  has  supplemented  the  sys- 

93 


94  HISTORY    OF   THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL 

tern  of  schools  with  a  Public  Library,  upon  whose  shelves 
may  be  found  the  means  for  the  continuance  of  our  educa- 
tion, and  likewise  an  unfailing  source  of  intellectual  grati- 
fication and  rational  enjoyment. 

We  should  be  guarded  in  our  choice  of  books  by  clear 
and  acknowledged  principles  from  youth  onward.  How  much 
time  is  spent  in  reading  trashy  novels  that  impart  no  know- 
ledge to  the  reader  and  leave  no  good  lessons  behind  them  ! 
"Some  books,"  as  Lord  Bacon  said,  "are  to  be  tasted; 
others,  to  be  swallowed;  and  a  few  to  be  digested;  that  is, 
some  are  to  be  read  only  in  parts,  others  to  be  read,  but 
not  diligently,  and  a  few  to  be  read  with  diligence  and 
attention." 

In  olden  times,  in  the  days  of  parchments,  the  means 
of  intelletual  culture  were  so  expensive  that  it  was  confined 
solely  to  the  upper  classes  But  in  1476,  William  Caxton,  a 
native  of  Kent,  introduced  the  art  of  printing  into  England, 
and  since  that  time  learning  and  literature  have  increased 
with  wonderful  rapidity.  When  we  consider  how  limited 
was  the  amount  of  knowledge  that  descended  to  the  people 
previous  to  the  invention  of  printing;  how  difficult  to  be 
obtained  by  those  most  ardent  in  its  search,  how  certain  to 
be  neglected  by  those  who  preferred  ease  to  the  cultivation 
of  the  mind,  we  cannot  wonder  that  the  people  were  gen- 
erally ignorant  and  degraded,  and  the  slaves  of  superstition 
and  barbarism. 

In  almost  every  country  of  the  world  there  are  schools, 
institutes,  academies,  colleges  and  other  establishments  of 
learning,  and  in  many  countries,  like  England,  Prussia  and 
Switzerland,  education  is  compulsory.  In  no  other  country 
are  the  means  of  education  as  good  and  as  widely  distribu- 
ted, alike  to  the  rich  and  to  the  poor,  as  in  our  own.  How 
thankful  we  should  be  for  this  abundent  means  of  educa- 
tion. How  we  should  improve  our  time,  for  time  flies,  and 
every  day  brings  us  nearer  to  the  end  of  our  school  life! 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL  95 

Education  has  greatly  improved  the  intellectual  and 
moral  condition  of  woman.  The  civilization  of  a  country 
depends,  in  a  great  measure,  upon  the  respect  in  which 
woman  is  held.  In  ancient  times  she  was  a  mere  drudge, 
a  slave,  and  society  was  sunk  in  the  deepest  barbarism;  but 
as  time  advanced,  woman  assumed  her  rightful  position  and 
became  the  equal  of  man  in  station  and  intellect. 

The  character  of  a  nation  takes  its  tone  mostly  from 
the  character  of  its  women.  Their  graces  produce  general 
refinement,  and  their  morals  make  a  deep  impression.  The 
pages  of  history  afford  us  undying  examples  of  the  good 
that  woman  has  done.  Isabella  of  Castile,  a  woman  whose 
lofty  spirit  was  capable  of  understanding  and  sympathizing 
with  the  poor  sailor,  whom  all  scorned  and  mocked,  and  se- 
cured to  him  the  discovery  of  America,  deserves  the  love 
of  all  mankind. 

Elizabeth,  the  virgin  queen  of  England,  is  worthy  of 
notice.  She  was  one  of  the  greatest  scholars  of  her  day, 
and  her  reign,  which  is  often  called  the  "Augustan  Age  of 
English  Literature,"  was  adorned  with  some  of  the  brightest 
stars  that  ever  glowed  in  the  firmament  of  literature. 

Harriet  Martineau,  the  pride  of  her  sex,  whose  most 
ardent  desire  was  for  the  well-being  of  the  human  race;  and 
the  heroic  Grace  Darling,  who  in  the  hour  of  danger,  risked 
her  life  on  the  tossing  waves  for  a  band  of  shipwrecked 
mariners,  are  also  worthy  of  mention. 

These  are  but  a  few  of  the  many  famous  and  good 
women  whom  we  have  before  us  for  examples  in  our  future 
life,  and  the  time  has  now  come,  dear  schoolmates,  when 
the  future,  in  all  its  uncertainty,  lies  before  us.  It  is  sad  to 
think  that  for  some  of  us  the  dear  friendships  and  close  in- 
timacies, which  have  linked  us  together  in  an  united  bond, 
are  now  to  be  severed  forever.  We  are  like  travelers  on  a 
journey.      We  have  arrived  where  several  roads  meet  and 


96  HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL 

each  is  to  select  which  pleasure  or  duty  points  out  as  lead- 
ing most  directly  to  her  cherished  aim.  And  how  differ- 
ent the  paths  which  will  be  chosen!  Some  of  us  will  con- 
tinue our  studies  in  other  and  more  advanced  schools;  for 
some  the  school-life  is  over  and  home,  with  its  attendant 
duties,  will  summon  them  with  its  quiet  charm. 

A  brilliant  future  awaits  those,  who  by  their  intelli- 
gence and  accomplishments  will  be  fitted  to  shine  in  so- 
ciety; while  not  a  few,  let  us  hope,  are  to  make  their  mark 
in  some  one  of  the  many  professions  and  occupations  which 
the  wide-spreading  influence  of  universal  education  and  re- 
fined civilization  has  opened  to  women.  But  in  whatever 
sphere  fortune  may  place  us,  let  us  rembember  that  only 
by  diligence  and  attention  can  we  succeed,  and  that  it  is  not 
simply  the  amount  of  knowledge  which  we  have  stored  in 
our  minds  which  is  to  help  us,  but  it  is  the  use  to  which  we 
apply  it  that  is  to  make  it  of  service  to  us. 

To  the  teachers,  who  have  guided  us  so  faithfully 
through  the  trials  and  vexations  that  have  beset  us  during 
our  school-life,  we  owe  our  most  grateful  thanks.  Their's 
have  been  the  patient  hands  which  have  carried  us  safely 
through  all  difficulties.  Many  and  many  a  time,  no  doubt,  have 
we  taxed  their  forbearance  to  the  utmost,  and  to  their  energy 
and  perseverance  we  owe  our  present  success.  Above  all 
to  him,  our  principal,  who  has  lavished  upon  us  the  fruit  of 
years  of  experience  and  study,  the  full  measure  of  which 
we  cannot  now  fully  appreciate,  we  offer  our  sincerest 
gratitude.  To  the  committee,  and  the  supervisors,  who 
are  untiring  in  their  efforts  for  our  advancement  and  suc- 
cess, our  heartfelt  thanks  are  due. 

To  you,   dear  schoolmates,    must  our  last    words   be 

spoken,     It  is  true,  that  our  sister  band  must  sever,  and 

whatever  our  future  is  to  be,  let  us  remember  that  nothing 

as  a  greater  influence  upon  our  present  or  future  happi- 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL  97 

ness  or  misery,  than  our  chosen  companions.  Let,  there- 
fore, the  wise  and  the  prudent,  the  virtuous  and  the  good, 
be  the  persons  of  our  intimacy  and  choice.  "He  that  walk- 
eth  with  wise  men  shall  be  wise,  but  a  companion  of  fools 
shall  be  destroyed." 

Our  character  in  the  world  must  be  built  on  a  solid 
foundation,  and  we  cannot  be  too  careful  in  establishing 
this.  I  would  now  bid  each  and  all  an  affectionate  fare- 
well, trusting  however  distant  we  may  be  removed  one  from 
another,  we  shall  continue  united  in  spirit,  and  that  the 
same  ties  that  have  so  long  bound  us  here,  as  one,  will  be 
strengthened  by  separation." 

In  1888  it  was  decided  by  the  School  Board  that,  "pa- 
pers written  by  graduates  to  be  read  at  the  annual  exami- 
nation for  diplomas,  be  submitted  to  the  superintendent  of 
schools,  to  be  reviewed,  and  a  report  upon  their  value  and 
the  marking  of  teachers  be  reported  to  the  Committee 
on  Examination.  The  superintendent  shall  annually  des- 
ignate twelve  schools  from  which  all  the  examination  papers 
for  diplomas  shall  be  re-examined  and  reported  upon." 

From  a  graduate  of  1889  :  "When  I  entered  the  school 
Mr.  Brown  was  principal;  after  his  death,  Mr.  Hamlin  was 
principal  for  a  short  time.  Miss  Perry  was  my  first  teacher. 
At  that  time  sewing  was  introduced;  Miss  Bigelow,  teacher. 
I  next  entered  the  class  of  Miss  Mary  E.  Pitcher,  having  a 
double  promotion,  as  it  was  called.  Miss  Mary  Young  was 
the  next  teacher  and  things  began  to  take  on  a  more  serious 
aspect,  for  next  after  came  the  graduating  class.  We  were 
very  carefully  trained  for  our  singing  by  Mr.  Holt.  Every 
morning  was  a  short  reading  from  the  Bible.  At  10:30 
came  recess  with  its  'hop-scotch,'  jack  stones  and  stamps." 

"We  were  all  much  interested  in  the  sewing  exhibi- 
tion.    The  cooking  class  was  established  during  my  last 


98  HISTORY   OF    THE   BOWDOIN    SCHOOL 

year.  Once  a  week  we  went  to  North  Bennett  street,  and 
under  the  instruction  of  Miss  Barrows  we  learned  cookery; 
we  were  well  taught,  always  being  obliged  to  try  some- 
thing at  home  during  the  week. 

"On  holidays,  we  always  enjoyed  a  short  programme 
of  music  and  declamations.  On  Washington's  Birthday, 
the  exercises  were  of  a  patriotic  character  and  were  held  in 
the  class-room  next  to  that  of  the  graduating  class.  Every 
afternoon  a  march  was  played  on  the  piano  and  for  a  few 
moments  we  would  march  around  the  room  with  the  black- 
boards thrown  up."  (At  that  time  the  black-boards  were 
movable  partitions.) 

"The  graduating  class  at  the  of  each  month  gave  a  re- 
ception to  parents  and  friends,  some  of  the  girls  acting  as 
ushers,  each  in  her  turn,  so  all  officiated  during  the  year. 
Some  of  the  girls  furnished  the  entertainment,  by  recita- 
tions, dialogues  and  music.  Let  me  assure  you,  there  were 
a  number  very  proficient. 

"The  studies  were  Latin,  German,  physics,  book-keep- 
ing, botany,  English  history.  Then  came  graduation-day; 
the  usual  programme  was  carried  out;  singing  was  in 
charge  of  Mr.  Holt,  his  wife  accompanying  us  on  the 
piano." 


CHAPTER   XVII. 


The  first  building  of  the  Bowdoin  School  was  erected 
on  Derne  Steeet,  corner  of  Temple,  and  was  called  from 
the  street  on  which  it  stood,  as  many  of  the  school-houses 
of  those  days  were;  but  on  May  15,  1824,  the  name  of  Bow- 
doin was  given  to  it,  in  honor  of  Gov.  Bowdoin,  who  lived 
on  Beacon  Hill.  The  second  building  was  erected  on 
Myrtle  street  and  opened  May  15,  1848.  In  1879  there 
was  some  idea  of  discontinuing  the  Bowdoin  School,  but 
residents  of  the  district  sent  a  very  strong  remonstrance, 
both  as  to  the  arguments  presented  and  the  number  and 
standing  of  the  signers  thereto.  Nothing  more  was  ever 
afterward  heard  about  the  affair.  The  first  Bowdoin  school- 
house  on  Myrtle  street,  was  considered  one  of  the  best,  if 
not  the  best,  school-building  of  Boston,  with  plenty  of 
room,  conveniences,  and  an  ornament  to  Beacon  Hill,  but 
as  time  went  on,  and  the  north  and  west  streets  rapidly  in- 
creased in  population,  it  became  evident  that  a  much  larger 
building  was  needed.  So  in  1895  ft  was  decided  to  build  a 
third  school-house  for  girls  on  Beacon  Hill.  The  building 
erected  stands  on  the  site  of  the  second  building,  additional 
land  in  the  rear  having  been  added.  The  architect  of  the 
second  building  was  Gridley  J.  F.  Bryant,  and  it  was  the 
best  school-house  ever  built  in  Boston.  The  third  building 
was  planned  by  Edmund  M.  Wheelwright,  city  architect. 
It  contained  sixteen  rooms,  with  every  modern  appliance, 
including  a  large  hall,  master's  office,  library,  teachers'  re- 
tiring room,  broad  halls  and  wide  stairways.  In  fact,  "the 
best  in  design  and  equipment  ever  built  in  the  city."  Dur- 
ing the  construction  of  the  part  upon  the  land  in  the  rear, 

99 


100  HISTORY   OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL 

the  school  continued  its  sessions  in  the  old  building,  then, 
that  was  demolished  and  the  new  house  completed. 

The  following  extract  is  copied  from  the  Traveler,  Oc- 
tober, 26,  1895:  To  name  the  school  that  stands  highest  in 
efficiency  would  be  to  make  a  statement,  that  would  involve 
comparisons,  that  could  hardly  fail  to  be  obvious.  But 
when  it  comes  to  a  question  of  attitude  of  site,  there  is  no 
grammar  school  in  Boston  to  contest  for  the  palm  with 
the  old  Bowdoin  School.  It  is  not  located  on  the  summit 
of  Beacon  Hill,  but  still  is  situated  so  far  up  on  the  north 
slope  of  the  historic  eminence  as  to  claim  a  favored  site  on 
the  Boston  Parnassus.  There  are  older  schools  in  Boston, 
though  not  many  of  them,  but  there  are  few  hallowed  by 
greater  educational  service  or  by  more  interesting  associa- 
tions. During  its  existence,  it  has  graduated  thousands  ef 
girls,  and  the  wives  and  mothers  of  many  of  the  great 
ones  of  the  city  were  pupils  within  its  walls.  It  once  drew 
its  pupils  from  the  most  select  residential  section  in 
Boston.  But  the  Back  Bay  has  shorn  Beacon  Hill  of  the 
prestige  of  being  the  favorite  site  for  the  homes  of  the 
wealthiest  and  most  renowned  citizens,  though  many  fam- 
ilies that  can  cry  "Sesame !"  to  the  circles  of  the  elite,  still 
cling  to  the  old  homesteads  that  crown  the  hill  and  border 
the  south  brow. 

The  Bowdoin  School's  roll  bore  names  that  stood  for 
riches,  as  well  as  culture,  and  many  of  the  dainty  misses 
who  tripped  to  and  from  its  portals,  were  attired  in  silks 
and  satins,  buds,  in  fact,  destined  to  bloom  in  society. 

Time,  the  great  democrat,  has  wiped  away  such  dis- 
tinction for  the  Bowdoin  School.  The  West  End  is  now  a 
teeming  hive  of  tenements,  and  one  by  one  the  old  home- 
steads of  merchant  princes  are  passing  into  the  occupancy  of 
humble  tenants.  Their  children  now  sit  in  the  rooms  once 
occupied  by  heirs  to  the  purple,  but,  thanks  to  a  school 


HISTORY    OF   THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL  101 

system  that  is  one  of  Boston's  chief  glories,  the  educational 
facilities  now  provided  for  the  scions  of  wage  earners,  is 
even  broader,  and  the  instruction  more  thorough  than  was 
afforded  their  predecessors  in  these  halls  of  learning  some 
thirty  years  ago.  The  palmy  days  of  the  Boston  public 
schools  have  not  passed,  and  never  will,  if  the  spirit  of  the 
past  and  present  shall  animate  the  citizens  of  the  future. 
Citizens  of  the  South  who  draw  the  color-lines  most 
strictly  on  every  occasion  and  even  seem  disposed  to  divide 
the  races  by  "a  dead  line"  guarded  by  shot  guns  and 
hempen  strands,  when  it  comes  to  the  school  questions, 
would  stand  aghast,  at  the  sight  to  be  viewed  daily  in  the 
Bowdoin  school-house.  There,  white  children  and  children 
of  African  descent  sit  side  by  side,  and  imbibe  common 
draughts  from  the  fount  of  learning.  Boston's  theory,  that 
it  is  better  public  policy  to  elevate  the  community  by  edu- 
cating the  ignorant  than  to  preserve  social  or  racial  distinc- 
tions, in  laying  the  foundations  for  citizenship,  lest  caste 
shall  lose  its  dominance,  is  being  put  to  a  practical  test,  at 
the  West  End,  in  the  Bowdoin  and  other  schools,  which 
locality  circumstance  or  choice  has  made  the  centre  of  the 
city's  colored  population.  It  is  peculiarly  fitting  that  the 
Bowdoin  School  should  largely  recruit  its  pupils  from  the 
ranks  of  Negro  children.  The  rear  of  the  present  building 
stands  upon  the  site  of  the  house,  wherein  Charles  Sumner 
was  born.  When  it  is  finished,  a  memorial  tablet  on  the 
Irving  street  side  of  the  structure  will  announce  this  inter- 
esting fact;  an  order  for  such  a  tablet  was  drawn  up  and 
would  have  been  introduced  at  the  latest  meeting  of  the 
School  Committee,  had  it  not  been  learned  by  the  Board 
that  other  provision  had  been  already  made  for  the  tablet. 
In  regards  to  the  tablet,  it  may  be  added  that  Master 
Meserve,  being  requested  to  prepare  an  inscription  for  the 
proposed  tablet,  by  a  member  of  the  School  Committee, 
offered  the  following: 


102  HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL 

THIS  TABLET 

MARKS    THE    SPOT    WHERE 

CHARLES    SUMNER 

WAS  BORN  JAN.  6,  1811. 

SCHOLAR,  ORATOR,  SENATOR, 

AND    CHAMPION    OF    CIVIL 

POLITICAL    EQUALITY 

FOR   THE    NEGRO    RACE. 

This  inscription  was  submitted  to  the  Third  Division 
Committee  of  the  School  Board,  and  it  was  accepted.  It 
seems  however,  that  Mr.  Wheelright  had  arranged  for  a 
tablet  before  he  retired  from  office  and  it  had  been  com- 
pleted. It  has  been  suggested,  however,  that  it  would  be 
wise  to  have,  for  its  educational  value  in  the  future,  when 
Charles  Sumner's  fame  may  be  somewhat  dimned,  a  tablet, 
bearing  an  inscription  like  that  prepared  by  Mr.  Meserve, 
placed  in  the  hall  of  the  new  building.  It  was  in  1855 
that  colored  children  were  first  admitted  to  the  Bowdoin 
School,  and  is  said  that  this  was  the  first  public  educational 
institution  in  Boston  wherein  they  were  received  as  pupils 
and  accorded  equal  privileges  with  the  whites.  When  the 
new  building  is  dedicated,  Master  Meserve  proposes  to  in- 
vite to  the  exercises  the  colored  women  now  living  in  Bos- 
ton, who  entered  the  school  in  the  year  named.  There  are 
quite  a  number  of  them  residing  in  the  West  End. 

The  first  graduation  in  the  new  building  of  the  school, 
1897: 

PROGRAMME. 

Music,  "How  Brightly  and  Serenely."  Class 

Address  of  Welcome.  Jennie  A.  Green 

Music,  "To  the  Cuckoo." 

Evelyn  E.  Clinton,  Lavinia  R.  Bonner,  Annie  C.  Stone 
Music,  "The  Lost  Chord,"  Bertha  L.  Blake 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL  103 

Composition,  "Our  Flag."  Rose  O.  Parker 

Music,  "Sing  On,  Ye  Little  Birds."  Class 

Readings,         Georgiana  Charleston,  Henrietta  V.  Mills, 

Celia  Bessie  Dubb,  Helena  Samuels, 

Theresa  Linenthal,  Olive  A.  Stavert, 

Marie  A.  Manning,  Elizabeth  F.  Zellos. 

Piano  Playing,  "Grace  Waltz." 

Phoebe  O.  Sawin,  Louise  M.  Watterton 

Recitation,  "John  Bartholomew."  Emma  Carpenter 

Music,  "Whispering  Hope." 

Carolyn  G.  Hagerty,  Winifred  S.  Ricker 

"A  Group  of  Facts." 

Georgenia  Asbury,  Violet  L.  Moore, 

Sarah  A.  Bannen,  Grace  E.  Nolan, 

Elizabeth  M.  Daly,  Eleonor  F.  Power, 

Margaret  E.  Green,  Almira  E.  Smith, 

Florence  C.  Sutherland. 

Music,  "We  Will  Lay  us  Down  in  Peace."  Class 

Recitation,  "The  Little  Quaker  Sinner."        Emma  Foster 

Music,  "The  Bird  Carol." 

Mary  G.  Backus,  Mary  H.  C.  Boylan, 

Flora  A.  Belson,  Jessie  M.  Harding, 

Mary  E.  Gibney,  Frances  Wasserman, 

Sarah  M.  Williams,  Jennie  Wax, 

Rosa  X.  Kizlevick,  Ethel  L.  Wadleigh, 

Lena  Leibson,  Mary  E.  Moran. 

Reading,  "You  Are  Old,  Father  William." 

Edith  M.  Russell 

Presentation  of  the  Portrait  of  Delwin  A.  Hamlin,  former 

Master  of  the  Bowdoin  School.      Ada  B.  A.  Bradford 

Music,  "Farewell,  Marguerite."  Alicia  L.  Dorsay 

Presentation  of  the  Class  Picture.  Rachel  Peyser 


104  HISTORY   OF   THE    BOWDOIN   SCHOOL 

Music,  "Come,  Silver  Moon." 

Mary  E.  Johnson,  Georgietta  D.  F.  Woodest 

Valedictory.  Clementine  S.  T.  Dominique 

THE  CLASS  SONG. 

WRITTEN    BY    OLIVE    A.  STAVERT,    OF    THE    GRADUATING    CLASS. 

Tune,  "Auld  Lang  Syne." 

The  last,  sad  joyful  hour  has  come, 

When  '97  must  part 
With  all  the  dear  familiar  spots, 

Which  lie  so  near  our  heart. 
Oh!  Teachers  dear,  you've  taught  us  much, 

Your  love  we  now  indite; 
You've  helped  us  through  deep  learning's  haunts 

And  brought  us  nearer  light, 

What  though  we  left  Old  Bowdoin's  walls, 

So  many  months  away! 
We've  entered  now  New  Bowdoin's  halls, 

The  first  class  there  to  stay. 
Oh!  Teachers  dear,  you've  taught  us  much, 

Your  love  we  now  indite, 
You've  helped  us  through  deep  learning's  haunts 

And  brought  us  nearer  light, 

To  all  who've  helped  us  in  our  school, 

We  bid  a  sad  farewell. 
We  leave  the  lessons,  fun  and  rule. 

To  upward  climb — excel. 
Oh!  Teachers  dear,  you've  taught  us  much, 

Your  love  we  now  indite, 
You've  helped  us  through  deep  learning's  haunts 

And  brought  us  nearer  light. 

Award  of  Diplomas. 

Addresses. 

Music,  "America."  Class 

Miss  Gertrude  M.  Johnson,  Pianist. 
The  audience  is  requested  to  join. 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL  105 

Every  pupil  took  part  in  the  exercises,  so  a  list  of 
names  is  not  necessary. 

1897 — Valedictory. — Clementine  Dominique. 

(A  colored  girl.) 

Parents,  friends,  we  have  gathered  here  to-day,  to 
greet  you  and  to  say  farewell  to  one  another.  Many  of  us 
have  been  together  for  five  years,  others  have  entered  the 
class  later,  but  in  the  past  year  we  have  shared  one  an- 
other's perplexities  and  joys,  and  have  tried  to  be  kind  and 
sympathizing  with  one  another.  We  have  not  always  been 
upright,  as  we  might  have  been,  but  our  teachers  have 
borne  with  us  and  have  brought  us  safely  through  the  past 
and  led  us  triumphantly  to  this  day  of  gladness  and  also  of 
sorrow;  when  we  think  that  we  sit  upon  this  platform  for 
the  last  time  as  a  class,  and  that  many  of  these  smiling 
countenances  we  may  never  see  again.  Some  of  us  are 
going  to  the  High  School,  some  to  the  Latin  School,  others 
to  Business  Colleges,  and  others  to  places  of  business,  but, 
dear  Classmates,  always  remember  the  loving  countenances 
of  the  class  of  '97. 

Friends,  we  thank  you  for  your  patience  towards  us 
during  these  exercises.  You  too,  perhaps,  have  looked 
forward  to  this  day  as  one  of  great  pleasure.  We  did  not 
think  any  day  could  hold  so  much  pleasantness  and  yet 
such  sadness. 

Dear  Parents,  who  have  carried  us  when  crosses  have 
been  put  upon  us,  and  at  whose  knees  we  were  taught  to 
say  our  first  prayer  to  heaven,  we  can  never  repay  you  for 
that  loving  care  and  examples  given  us,  Some  of  you  have 
graduated  from  this  school,  not  from  "New  Bowdoin,"  but 
from  dear  "Old  Bowdoin"  and  have  experienced  the  feel- 
ings which  are  surging  in  our  hearts  to-day.  Dear  parents, 
will   it   repay   you   somewhat,  to  see  your  daughters  step 


106  HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL 

forward  to  receive  their  sheet  of  white,  tied  with  blue,  which 
will  tell  you  that  your  prayers,  tears  and  examples  were  not 
in  vain?     We  trust  it  will. 

Dear  Teachers,  to  you  we  say,  we  thank  you  sincerely 
for  your  painstaking.  We  were  not  always  as  pleasant  as 
we  might  have  been  but  you  bore  with  us  through  all,  and 
now  have  raised  us  to  this  pinnacle  from  which  we  are 
about  to  step  into  a  new  world,  as  it  were.  We  would  thank 
each  and  every  teacher  for  their  generous  work.  We  know 
you  will  not  remember  any  of  our  errors  on  this  day  of  glad- 
ness, but  will  cast  them  away  and  only  remember  us,  as  we 
stand,  the  result  of  your  generous  work.  Your  memory, 
dear  teachers,  will  be  stamped  on  our  hearts  forever. 

To  you,  Classmates,  we  would  say,  always  remember 
that  the  eye  of  God  is  ever  upon  you,  and  should  we  never 
meet  again,  remember  the  words  of  your  classmate  of  '97  : 
"Fear  God  and  you  will  always  look  man  in  the  face."  Always 
remember  your  teachers  and  their  kind  injunctions  in  your 
school  days,  and  try  to  follow  their  precepts  and  those  of 
your  parents.  By  noble  perseverance  you  can  make  your 
lives  broad,  deep  and  beneficient. 

"Lives  of  great  men  all  remind  us 
We  can  make  our  lives  sublime, 
And  departing  leave  behind  us 
Footprints  on  the  sands  of  time." 

Oh,  dear  Classmates,  let  us  all  try  to  broaden  our  lives 
by  kindly  deeds,  so  that, 

"When  the  portals  of  the  old  life  close, 
And  the  new  ones  open  wide, 
We  may  cross  the  sacred  threshold, 

And,  laying  our  sandals  down, 
Put  on  the  garb  of  righteousness, 

And  wear  a  golden  crown." 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL  107 

Fare  thee,  well,  in  after  life,  my  comrades,  and  may  the 
Lord  guard  and  keep  thee  and  make  His  Face  to  smile 
upon  thee  and  give  thee  peace. 

And,  dear  Bowdoin,  farewell  to  thee.  We  will  not  for- 
get the  happy  hours  spent  within  thy  walls.  May  the  com- 
ing generation  appreciate  thee,  more  and  more,  and  may 
they  strive  to  beautify  thee  until  thou  shalt  surpass  all 
others  of  thy  generation.  Mayst  thou  be  protected  from 
all  storms  by  the  all  protecting  Hand,  and  by  thy  gentle 
dignity  inspire  the  hearts  that  shall  seek  for  knowledge  at 
thy  door.  We  will  not  in  after  life,  as  Holmes  has  said  in 
the  "Chambered  Nautilus,"  "stretch  our  new  found  homes 
and  know  the  old  no  more"  but  thy  memory  will  always  be 
an  inspiration  as  when  we  were  sheltered  within  thy  walls. 
As  we  say  farewell  to  thee,  can  we  not  hear  above  thy 
farewell  a  voice,  saying, 

"Build  thee  more  stately  mansions,  Oh  :  my  soul! 
As  the  swift  seasons  roll,  leave  thy  low  vaulted  past, 
Let  each  new  temple  be  nobler  than  the  last." 

Although  the  first  graduation  of  a  class  in  the  new 
building  took  place  in  June,  1807,  the  building  was  not 
dedicated  until  June,  1898,  just  fifty  years  after  the  dedica- 
tion of  the  first  building  erected  on  Myrtle  street. 

Committee  on  the  Third  Division:  Samuel  F.  Hubbard, 
Chairman;  Mrs.  Fanny  Ames,  Charles  L.  Burrill,  Samuel 
Courtney,  Isaac  F.  Paul. 

PROGRAMME. 

1.  Invocation,  Rev.  Christopher  R.  Eliot 

2.  Song,  "Praise  of  Singing."     Grade  ix,  Bowdoin  School 

3.  Address,     Samuel  F.  Hubbard,  Chairman  3rd  Division 

4.  Address,  with  delivery  of  key, 

Henry  D.  Huggan,  President  School  Committee 


108  HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL 

5.  Response,    Alonzo  Meserve,  Master  of  Bowdoin  School 

6.  Historical  Address, 

Mrs.  Inez  Haynes  Gilmore,  Class  1887 

7.  Poem,  "Our  Beacon's  Light." 

Miss  Emma  J.  T.  Gale,  Class  1865 

8.  Song,  "Oh  Rose  so  Sweet."     Grade  ix,  Bowdoin  School 

9.  Address,  Josiah  Quincy,  Mayor  of  Boston 

10.  Addreses, 

Edwin  D.  Mead,  President  Twentieth  Century  Club. 

Frank  A.  Hill,  Secretary  of  the  State  Board  of  Edu- 
cation. 

Edwin  P.  Seaver,  Superintendent  of  Public  Schools, 
Boston. 

A.  G.  Boyden,  Principal  of  Normal  School,  Bridge- 
water,  Mass. 

11.  Song,  "Song  of  the  Public  School.' 

Written  for  the  occasion  by  Alonzo  Meserve, 
Master  of  the  Bowdoin  School. 

God  bless  the  public  school, 
Long  may.it  wisely  rule 

With  rod  of  love. 
Born  of  the  people's  art, 
May  it  high  hopes  impart, 
And  fire  each  youthful  heart, 

His  worth  to  prove. 

God  bless  our  nation's  homes, 
While  virtue  sits  on  thrones 

Fairer  than  kings, 
Where  children  sing  and  shout, 
Vain  cares  are  put  to  route, 
And  all  the  world  about, 

With  gladness  rings. 

God  bless  our  own  dear  land, 
For  her  we  all  will  stand, 
While  life  survives. 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL  109 

We'll  give  her  every  due, 
With  fearless  hands  and  true, 
Each  sacred  pledge  renew, 
With  stainless  lives. 

God  bless  us  all  our  way, 
Make  each  one  fondly  stray, 

On  things  above, 
Lead  into  fields  of  light. 
Inspire  to  act  aright, 
Make  each  a  child  of  might, 

Our  world  to  move. 

12.  Benediction,  Rev.  D.  P.  Roberts 

Music  under  the  direction  of  Hosea  E.  Holt,  Instructor. 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 


In  1821  the  Derne-Street  grammar  school  for  boys  and 
girls  was  the  seventh  public  grammar  school  in  Boston,  now 
it  is  the  third  as  to  age.  The  difference  between  the  old 
and  the  new,  between  the  first  quarter  and  the  last  quarter 
of  a  century  of  the  existence  of  the  school  now  called  Bow- 
doin,  is,  of  course,  very  great,  in  everything  pertaining  to 
the  education  of  its  pupils,  and  it  would  be  impossible  for 
any  one  to  realize  the  extent  of  this  difference,  who  has  not 
been  watching  the  great  changes  in  educational  methods  dur- 
ing these  sixty  years.  As  vast  as  is  the  difference  between 
the  old  Derne-Street  building  and  the  present  Myrtle-Street 
building,  it  is  not  as  great  as  the  contrast  between  the 
of  the  teachers,  the  studies  pursued  by  the  pupils,  and  the 
methods  employed  in  carrying  out  the  various  plans  laid 
out  by  the  School  Board  of  the  last  twenty-five  years,  and 
those  few  simple  plans  laid  out  by  the  committees  during 
the  years  1821  to  1846.  Then  the  masters  were  given 
certain  subjects  that  were  obligatory  and  some  that  were 
"allowed  at  the  discretion  of  the  master;"  but  they  were 
permitted  to  formulate  their  own  plans  as  to  methods  and 
numbers  of  hours  of  instruction  for  each  branch  taught. 

The  number  of  school  hours  a  day  were  more  than 
to-day,  the  holidays  fewer,  and  in  place  of  a  summer  vaca- 
tion of  ten  weeks  there  was  a  pitiful  vacation  of  two  and  a 
half  weeks.  At  the  opening  of  school  each  day  the  prin- 
cipals were  required  to  read  a  passage  of  Scripture  and  to 
offer  a  prayer.  These  were  generally  followed  by  a  few 
remarks  upon  deportment  and  morals.  In  the  middle  of 
each  session  there  was  a  recess  of  about  twenty  minutes, 

110 


HISTORY   OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL  111 

there  were  no  physical  exercises,  excepting  the  usual  games» 
at  recess,  in  the  play-grounds. 

Many  persons  have  very  erroneous  ideas  of  the  amount 
of  work  accomplished  by  the  teachers  and  pupils  in  those 
early  school-days.  The  remark  is  often  made  that  the  child- 
ren of  to-day  have  too  many  studies;  that  much  more  is  re- 
quired of  them,  than  was  required  of  the  children  of  seventy 
years  ago.  This  is  a  mistake,  there  are  not  more  studies 
but  the  methods  of  teaching  them  are  entirely  different. 
While  teaching  these  subjects,  all  the  teachers  of  the  early 
times  made  the  lessons  interesting  and  instructive  by  im- 
parting much  information  from  other  sources  than  the 
specified  text  books.  I  do  not  in  this  remark  intend  to 
imply  that  the  teachers  of  the  present  time  are  less  pro- 
ficient or  less  willing  to  do  the  very  best  for  their  pupils, 
but  their  work  seems  to  be  laid  out  by  the  closest  minutiae, 
giving  little  if  any  opportunity  to  add  outside  information 
or  time  to  give  it. 

The  advance  in  scientific  knowledge  during  the  last 
sixty  years  has  been  so  great,  so  accumulative  and  marvel- 
ous, as  to  be  beyond  the  conception  of  those  living  in  the 
first  third  of  the  nineteenth  century.  This  constant  in- 
crease of  knowledge  makes  it  important  that  a  large 
amount  of  facts,  unknown  to  their  predecessors,  must  be 
acquired  by  the  students,  if  they  desire  to  be  considered 
well  educated  persons,  that  is,  persons  who  have  an  ac- 
quaintance with  an  understanding  of  what  goes  on  in  the 
world  around  them. 

In  the  Bowdoin  School  now  an  exact  schedule  of  the 
method  to  be  carried  out  by  the  teachers  is  prepared  by 
the  School  Board  and,  of  course,  closely  followed.  In  the 
first  three  grades,  the  primary  grades,  the  children  are 
taught  by  observation,  then  by  experiment,  to  find  out  not 
only  the  difference  between  not  only  diverse  objects  but 


112  HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL 

those  bearing  the  same  peculiarities  or  those  analogous  in 
appearance,  by  which  they  are  surrounded,  and  learn 
somewhat  of  the  "forces  of  Nature,"  and  to  what  and  how 
various  kinds  of  knowledge  can  be  applied  to  benefit  the 
world.  Commencing  with  the  fourth  grade,  which  is  the 
first  in  the  grammar  school,  "Elementary  Science"  is  car- 
ried through  all  the  grades.  In  grades  4,  5,  6,  two  hours 
a  week  is  given  to  Manual  Training.  "If,  however,  any 
girl  shall  have  passed  a  satisfactory  examination  in  Sewing, 
she  will  be  allowed  to  substitute  for  it  some  other  branch 
of  Manual  Training."  In  grades  7  and  8,  two  hours  a  week 
are  given  to  "Cookery,  Wood  Working  or  Clay  Modelling." 
.  .  .  .  "Every  girl  is  to  pursue  a  course  of  twenty  lessons  of 
two  hours  each  in  Cookery  as  a  regular  part  of  the  work  of 
grade  7  or  8."  ....  "But  a  girl  who  shall  pass  a  satisfac- 
tory examination  in  Cookery,  will  be  allowed  to  substitute 
for  it  some  other  branch  of  Manual  Training."  ....  If  a 
whole  or  part  of  the  time  assigned  to  a  specified  branch  of 
Manual  Training  be  not  used  therefore,  such  time  may  be 
given  to  any  other  of  its  authorized  branches." 

"Manual  Training  in  grade  9,  two  hours  each  week 
can  be  'Draughting  and  Cutting,'  'Wood- Working'  or 'Clay 
Modelling.'"  In  addition  to  Elementary  Science,  Draw- 
ing is  taught  one  and  one-half  hours  a  week  in  all  grades 
and  the  work  minutely  and  precisely  marked  out. 

Music  is  taught  in  all  grades  and  seems  to  be  the  only 
study  not  especially  planned  by  the  School  Board. 

The  reports  to  parents,  to  the  superintendent,  to  the 
State  and  National  Boards  of  Education,  now  required  of 
all  teachers,  were  unknown  three-quarters  of  a  century  ago. 

SPECIAL    STUDIES. 

Drawing  was  practised  in  the  English  High  School  in 
1827,  six  years  after  it  was  founded.     It  was  mentioned  in 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL  113 

the  list  of  studies  for  the  schools  in  1848,  but  apparently 
as  an  allowed  study,  and  in  1853  a  special  teacher  was  ap- 
pointed. In  1856,  however,  it  was  recommended  to  be 
taken  up  only  by  those  who  appeared  to  have  a  special  tal- 
ent for  it.  In  1871,  Mr.  Walter  Smith,  an  Englishman 
who  had  been  at  the  head  of  an  English  Art  School,  was 
appointed  to  conduct  a  Normal  Art  School  in  Boston. 
Two  gentlemen  of  the  city,  feeling  that  the  young 
men  and  women  of  the  United  States  should  be  es- 
pecially educated  in  mechanical  drawing  and  art  de- 
signing, to  compete  and,  finally,  to  fill  the  places  then  oc- 
cupied in  this  country  by  foreigners  educated  in  the  art 
centres  of  Europe,  studied  the  subject  and  thoroughly  ex- 
amined the  results  produced  by  these  art  schols.  The  ab- 
solute necessity,  that  something  should  be  done,  had  for 
some  time  been  realized  by  the  merchants,  manufacturers, 
mechanics,  and  all  business  men.  The  results  have  proved 
the  wisdom  of  the  undertaking.  From  this  Boston  Normal 
Art  School  many  hundreds  of  men  and  women  have  grad- 
uated and  scattered  over  the  whole  country,  teaching  what 
they  learned  at  the  school.  They  have  taught  in  and  con- 
ducted the  many  flourishing  art  schools,  which  are  to-day 
firmly  established  in  most  of  our  large  cities. 

Mr.  Smith  not  only  conducted  the  Art  School,  but 
was  appointed  superintendent  of  drawing  in  the  public 
schools  of  Boston.  Classes  for  teachers  were  held  on  Satur- 
days, that  they  might  be  able  at  first  to  assist,  and  then 
finally,    to   have   charge   of   the  drawing  in  their  classes. 

Music  was  probably  always  taught  in  the  primary 
schools;  children  always  love  to  sing,  and  singing  "with 
teacher,"  must  have  lightened  often  the  tedium  of  sitting 
still  and  learning  to  "  spell,  read  and  cipher." 

In  1837,  the  School  Board  decided,  "that,  as  the  Acad- 
emy of  Music  in  Boston  started  the  plan  that  music  be 


114  HISTORY   OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL 

taught  in  the  public  schools,  that  the  experiment  should 
be  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  Academy  of  Music." 
From  that  time  music  seemed  to  be  the  favorite  study 
with  all  the  various  School  Boards  of  the  city.  Public  ex- 
hibitions were  given  yearly,  and  so  arranged  that  the  pa- 
rents of  the  children  could  be  accommodated.  If  there 
were  any  noted  visitors  in  the  city,  a  musical  festival  would 
be  arranged  for  their  entertainment.  On  Fourth  of  July 
half  a  dozen  children  from  each  public  school  above  the  prim- 
ary, provided  the  vocal  music  for  the  "City  Fathers"  and 
other  officials,  in  "the  Cradle  of  Liberty."  And  also  what 
was  very  important,  money  seemed  to  be  willingly  ap- 
propriated for  all  these  purposes.  Mr.  Lowell  Mason  was 
appointed  to  have  charge  of  the  music  in  all  the  public 
schools  of  the  city  sometime  in  the  early  forties. 

In  1853,  sewing  was  introduced  into  some  of  the  girls' 
schools  and  in  1876  was  legalized  in  Boston  by  the  Legis- 
lature. In  1869,  a  school  for  deaf  mutes  was  started.  In 
1880,  Nature  Study  was  introduced,  but  previous  to  that  it 
was  taught  in  some  form  in  the  Bowdoin  School,  as  a 
teacher  elected  in  1868  and  still  teaching  says,  that  she 
could  not  remember  when  she  did  not  teach  it  in  some  form. 
In  1903,  it  was  on  the  list  of  required  studies. 

In  1890,  the  Ling  System  of  Calisthenics  was  intro- 
duced. Previous  to  that  time,  each  master  conducted  some 
form  of  exercise;  this  probably  arose  from  the  fact  that  in 
1852  the  School  Board  voted  that  "no  child  should  remain 
in  one  position  for  more  than  one-half  hour;  that  a  respite 
of  five  minutes,  for  a  change  of  position,  was  to  be  given.". 
Vacation  schools  were  established  in  1900;  educational 
centres,  1902.  Cooking  schools  were  begun,  in  1885,  in  the 
Tennyson-Street  school-house  and  in  the  Hancock  school- 
house.  Children  from  the  other  schools  collected  there  for 
instruction,  but  this  was  very  inconvenient,  as  it  was  quite 


HISTORY    OF    THE    B0WD01N    SCHOOL  115 

a  long  walk  for  some  and  time  was  wasted.  The  School 
Board  finally  decided  that  a  cooking-room,  with  all  suita- 
able  apparatus,  should  be  arranged  in  every  new  school- 
house.     Cooking  is  now  taught  in  the  Bowdoin  building. 

In  the  first  thirty  years  of  the  schools  a  large  number 
of  the  graduates  became  teachers  in  the  different  public 
schools  of  the  city.  Mary  A.  Murdock,  Chastine  Lincoln, 
Elizabeth  Lincoln,  Affa  Gray,  Katherine  Whitney,  Frances 
Robinson,  Mary  S.  Robinson,  Harriet  French,  Rebecca 
Lincoln,  Mary  E.  Nash,  Elizabeth  B.  Mitchell,  Sarah  M. 
Mitchell,  Marcy  A.  Smith,  Emmeline  French,  Sarah  E. 
Adams  and  Elizabeth  T.  Snow.  The  first  three  commenced 
teaching  in  September,  the  month  after  they  had  graduated, 
and  could  not  have  been  over  sixteen  years  old.  All  of 
those  named  above  graduated  from,  and  taught  in,  the  Bow- 
doin School,  and  many  other  graduates  taught  in  the 
other  public  schools  of  the  city. 

The  Bowdoin  has  been  remarkable,  among  other  things, 
for  the  long  tenure  of  office  of  many  of  the  teachers.  One 
taught  forty-nine  years;  one,  for  thirty-nine  years,  and  is 
still  teaching;  two,  for  thirty-six  years;  two,  for  thirty-three 
years,  of  whom  one  is  still  living;  one,  twenty-one  years,  and 
is  still  living;  one,  for  twenty-nine  years;  two,  for  twenty- 
eight  years,  one  of  whom  is  still  teaching;  two,  for  twenty- 
six  years,  one  of  whom  is  still  living;  one,  for  twenty-three 
years;  two,  for  twenty-one  years,  both  of  whom  are  living; 
eleven,  twelve  years  or  over,  one  of  whom  is  still  teaching. 

In  1855,  the  first  marked  change  in  the  class  of  child- 
ren who  attended  the  Bowdoin,  occured.  The  school  for 
colored  children  was  given  up  and  its  pupils  attended  the 
school  for  white  children,  in  the  district  where  the  child- 
ren lived.  About  thirty  years  ago  a  few  children  of  the  Irish 
race  entered,  and  during  the  last  twenty  years,  children 
from  almost  every  race  of  the  civilized  world  have  entered 
its  doors.      It  would  seem  that  the  desire  and  ability  to 


116  HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL 

learn  would  be  marked  by  difference  among  the  various 
races,  but  while  it  is  so  in  a  degree,  yet  intellectually,  the 
difference,  if  any,  is  small.  In  looking  over  the  names  of 
the  graduates  of  the  last  few  years  one  notices  that  vale- 
dictorians, song-writers,  speakers,  vocal  soloists,  instru- 
mental soloists,  bear  strange  names,  Russian,  Polish,  Irish, 
Swedish,  Norwegian,  Danish,  Italian,  German,  etc.  Speak- 
ing of  the  different  nationalities,  the  principal,  Mr.  Meserve 
said,  that  he  found  them  about  equally  amenable  to  rules. 
The  Russian  children  are  the  most  promising.  They  are 
industrious,  obedient,  quick  to  learn  and  affectionate,  their 
parents  are  very  much  interested  in  their  school  progress, 
and  they  are  all  quick  to  catch  the  American  spirit. 

Mr.  Meserve  is  Principal  of  the  Bowdoin  School,  which 
has  three  primary  grades  and  six  grammar  grades.  The 
largest  attendance  this  year  (1907)  was  1235,  about  two 
and  one-half  times  the  attendance  in  1846,  the  quarter  of  a 
century  year  of  the  school;  average  age  of  graduates  fifteen 
years,  He  is  also  principal  of  the  primary  "Sharp  School," 
Anderson  street,  which  has  a  head  assistant,  and  three  assis- 
tants, also  a  kindergarten  department,  with  a  principal 
assistant. 


CHAPTER    XIX. 


In  this  history,  when  quoting  from  graduates,  names 
have  not  been  given,  but  in  the  chapters  especially  dedica- 
ted to  the  teachers,  and  in  this  chapter,  names  are  given  of 
those  pupils  who  have  filled  important  positions  or  have 
made  for  themselves  names  in  the  world.  I  am  sure  the 
small  number  I  have  been  able  to  find  would  be  increased 
manifold,  if  half  of  the  almost  innumerable  inquiries  I  sent 
out  had  been  answered.  Efforts  to  obtain  information 
about  the  after  life  of  the  boys  who  attended  the  Bowdoin 
School  during  the  first  ten  years  of  its  existence  have  been 
almost  completely  fruitless.  From  the  means,  education 
and  public  spirit  of  the  colonial  settlers  of  Beacon  Hill,  the 
ancestors  of  the  boys  and  girls  who  attended  Bowdoin 
School,  there  must  have  been  a  very  large  number  of  the 
pupils  who  graduated  from  the  school  who  deserved  men- 
tion here;  men  who  as  public  officials,  lawyers,  judges, 
ministers,  business  men  and  connected  with  colleges  and 
schools,  and  as  philanthropists,  have  made  their  mark  in 
the  world,  must  have  left  a  distinct  impression  on  their 
cescendents. 

It  is  to  be  regretted  that  the  oldest  living  graduate, 
as  far  as  could  be  ascertained,  is  not  willing  that  her  name 
should  be  given.  She  entered  the  school  in  1825  and 
graduated  in  1829.  The  gentleman  whom  she  married, 
many  years  Mayor  of  Boston,  and  consequently  chair- 
man of  the  School  Board,  was  thus  connected  with 
every  school  in  the  city,  so  incidentally  with  the  Bowdoin. 
The  graduate  said:  "Charlotte  Cushman  was  in  the  school 
for  a  short  time;  she  was  a  fine  reader,  and  Mr.  Andrews 
called  upon  her  whenever  visitors  were  present.     I  remem- 

117 


118  HISTORY    OF   THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL 

ber  'Hohenlinden'  was  a  favorite  piece  with  him.  Charlotte 
was  not  a  pretty  girl,  but  large  for  her  years;  she  was 
about  thirteen."  Her  connection  with  the  Hancock 
School,  where  she  was  for  some  time,  is  not  disputed. 

Mr.  Warren  Peirce,  (this  is  the  spelling  of  the  family), 
was  born  at  New  Salem,  Mass.,  March  28,  1776.  In  1800 
he  married  Lydia,  daughter  of  Rev.  Stephen  Farrar  of 
New  Ipswich,  N.  H.  He  graduated  from  Dartmouth  Col- 
lege in  1799  and  received  from  that  college  the  degrees  of 
A.  B.  and  A.  M.,  and  from  Harvard  the  honoray  degree  of 
A.  M  in  181 1.  He  studied  divinity  from  1799  to  1807. 
He  taught  first  as  Principal  of  Appleton  Academy,  then  as 
Principal  of  New  Salem  Academy;  in  1807  he  was  elected 
Preceptor  of  the  newly  established  Milton  (Massachusetts) 
Academy,  and  remained  there  until  1817,  when  he  resigned. 
In  1821  he  was  elected  master  of  the  reading  department  of 
the  Bowdoin  School.  He  died  in  Boston  May  10,  1822,  aged 
forty-six  years.  He  was  held  in  high  regard  in  Milton  as  a 
teacher.  His  son  Charles,  born  in  1804,  followed  in  his 
father's  footsteps.  He  graduated  from  Dartmouth  College 
in  1825  and  devoted  his  life  to  teaching,  mostly  in  Charles- 
town  and  Boston,  Mass.      He  died  aged  forty-eight  years. 

He  and  his  father  seemed  to  have  dropped  this  life's 
work,  just  as  they  were  fitted  for  great  usefulness  in  their 
chosen  profession. 

Mr.  John  Belcher  was  the  first  master  of  the  Bowdoin 
School,  in  the  writing  department,  1821;  he  resigned  in 
1825.  In  the  School  Board  records  there  was  but  one  ref- 
erence to  him,  excepting  the  two  facts  of  his  appointment 
and  resignation.  In  1823,  at  the  end  of  the  school  year, 
"The  Sub-Committtee  of  the  Derne-Street  School  be  re- 
quested to  express  to  the  Master  and  Assistants  of  the 
Writing  and  Arithmetic  in  this  school,  that  this  Board  are 
by  no  means  satisfied  with  the  improvements  of  the'pu- 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL  119 

pils,  particularly  in  writing,  as  exhibited  before  the  School 
Committee  in  the  late  examination  of  their  school,  and  ex- 
press the  expectation  of  the  Board,  that  the  said  instructors 
show  better  evidence  of  their  attention  to  the  school  in 
future  examinations."  But  one  of  the  pupils,  boy  or  girl, 
who  attended  the  school,  while  he  was  master,  have  re- 
ferred to  Mr.  Belcher;  this  one  wrote:  "He  lived  on  Myrtle 
Street  and  was  always  pleasant  and  gentlemanly.  Mr. 
Belcher  resigned  in  1825  and  opend  a  book  store  in  Faneuil 
Hall  building,  mostly  for  school  books.  Three  of  his 
daughters  entered  the  school  when  I  did." 

Mr.  Abraham  Andrews,  who  was  teaching  a  private 
school  in  Charlestown,  succeeded  Mr.  Peirce.  Mr.  Andrews 
was  born  in  Hillsboro,  N.  H.,  December  14,  1776,  and  died 
in  Charlestown,  March  3,  1869.  He  graduated  from  Dart- 
mouth College  in  181 1,  taking  the  A.  B.  degree,  later  the  A. 
M.,  and  in  1849  was  elected  a  member  of  the  Phi  Beta  Kappa 
Society  of  that  College.  He  read  law  with  Judge  Claggett 
of  Amherst,  New  Hampshire,  and  with  Aaron  Sawyer  of 
Mt.  Vernon.  After  the  resignation  of  Mr.  Robinson,  in 
1853,  Mr.  Andrews  took  charge  of  both  departments,  the 
writing  department  as  well  as  his  own,  the  reading  depart- 
ment. In  1855,  he  sent  in  his  resignation  to  the  School 
Board,  and  although  strongly  urged,  would  not  recall  it. 
He  received  the  following  resolution  from  the  Board: 

Boston,  May  17,  1855. 

Dear  Sir. — I  take  pleasure  in  transmitting  to  you  the  accompany- 
ing resolution,  which  was  unanimouly  adopted  at  a  meeting  of  the  School 
Committee  of  this  city,  held  on  Tuesday  last : 

"Resolved,  That  this  Board  take  the  occasion  which  is  presented  in  the 
withdrawal  of  Mr.  Abraham  Andrews  from  the  mastership  of  the  Bowdoin 
School,  to  express  its  highest  sense  of  the  value  of  the  services  he  has 
rendered  in  the  School  Department  for  a  long  course  of  years. 


120  HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL 

"He  leaves  the  service  honored  with  the  respect  and  esteem  of  thirty- 
two  successive  Hoards,  and  that  of  a  great  number  of  citizens  of  both 
sexes  who  are  now  enjoying  the  benefit  derived  from  his  instruction  and 
his  example." 

I  remain,  Sir,  with  the  very  highest  respect, 
Very  truly  yours, 

BARNARD  CAPEN, 

Secretary  of  the  School  Committee. 

November  2,  1853,  at  a  meeting  of  the  School  Board,  a 
proposition  that  six  months'  salary  should  be  presented  to 
Mr.  Andrews,  resulted  in  the  following:  "Mr.  Abraham  An- 
drews has  been  in  the  service  of  this  Board  for  many  years, 
he  has  during  that  time  met  the  full  approval  of  our  prede- 
cessors and  built  up  for  himself  an  enviable  reputation,  both 
as  a  worthy  and  upright  man  and  a  capable  and  successful 
instructor. 

"For  much  of  that  high  character  which  our  Boston 
Schools  sustain,  they  are  indebted  to  his  influence  and  to 
his  exertions;  for  much  of  that  honorable  distinction  which 
they  have  won  abroad,  they  acknowledge  his  assistance  and 
his  efforts. 

"Although  we  feel  compelled  to  oppose  the  practice  of 
paying  gratuities,  and  consequently  to  oppose  it  in  this 
case,  still  it  is  no  part  of  our  wish  or  purpose  to  detract 
one  iota  from  the  merits  of  Mr.  Andrews,  or  to  disguise 
the  value  of  those  services  which,  through  long  years,  he 
has  rendered  as  an  instructor  in  our  Public  Schools.  We 
are  free  to  acknowledge  that,  if  in  any  case,  it  would  be 
proper  to  overlook  the  great  principle  involved  in  granting 
gratuity;  if  it  was  ever  right  to  do  that,  in  a  single  instance, 
which  is  inexpedient  as  a  practice;  if  it  were  ever  justifiable 
for  this  Board  to  exceed  the  authority  given  it  by  the  law, 
the  present  is  an  instance  where  the  temptation  would  be 


HISTORY    OF   THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL  121 

strong  to,  'Wrest  once  the  law  to  your  authority' — 'To  do 
a  great  right,  to  do  a  little  wrong' — General  School  Com- 
mittee." 

After  his  resignation,  Mr.  Andrews  moved  to  Groton, 
where  he  enjoyed  ten  years  of  farm  life;  in  1865  he  returned 
to  his  old  home  in  Charlestown,  where  he  died.  He  was 
twice  married;  his  first  wife  was  Elizabeth  R.  Swift,  who 
died  in  1829;  his  second  wife,  Caroline  Swift,  sister  to  his 
first  wife,  died  in  1882.  He  had  two  daughters  by  his  first 
wife,  and  three  daughters  and  a  son,  by  the  second  wife. 
His  daughters,  Caroline,  Hannah  and  Sarah,  taught  in  the 
Bowdoin  School. 

Master  Andrews  was  very  much  loved  and  respected 
by  his  pupils.  He  was  never  severe,  never  arbitrary,  never 
sarcastic,  except  in  a  slight,  amusing  way,  but  every  pupil, 
after  a  few  days,  knew  that  whatever  he  requested  to  be 
done,  must  be  done,  and  whatever  be  forbade,  must  never 
be  attempted.  His  even  government  commanded  the  high- 
est respect  and  his  earnest,  enthusiastic  methods  of  instruc- 
tion, carried  the  pupils  along  with  him.  He  was  intensely 
interested  in  the  present  and  the  future  welfare  of  every 
member  of  his  classes.  His  teaching  of  English  literature 
embraced  a  great  amount  of  instruction  in  composition.  His 
interest  in  the  allowed  studies  was  a  great  benefit  to  his 
pupils,  so  that,  as  one  graduate  expresses  it,  "A  medal, 
from  the  Bowdoin  School,  was  an  honor  to  be  grateful  for." 

Of  the  nearly  three  thousand  pupils  who  reached  his 
special  classes,  every  one  living  must  feel  that  the  time 
passed  with  him,  had  a  great  influence  in  creating  a  taste 
for  the  best  literature,  and  a  directing  power  upon  their 
lives;  that  to  him  they  owe  a  great  debt  of  gratitude, 
which  they  can  pay  now  only  by  a  loving  remembrance  of 
him. 

Mr.  James  Robinson  became  Principal  of  the  Writing 
Department  of  the  Bowdoin  School  in  1825.     He  was  born 


122  HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL 

in  Windham,  Conn.,  October  8,  1781;  died  in  Cambridge 
in  1877,  aged  95  years,  9  months  and  23  days.  One  son 
survived  him,  who  had  no  children.  A  friend  of  the  family 
said  he  was  a  Brown  University  man.  Writing  to  the 
Registrar  of  the  University,  I  was  informed  that  his  name 
was  not  on  the  list  of  students.  Letters  were  sent  to 
Harvard,  Yale,  Dartmouth,  and  Bowdoin,  and  the  same  an- 
swer was  received  from  all.  So  we  must  concede  that  he 
received  his  education  in  the  public  schools  of  his  native 
town  may  have  attended  private  schools,  and  afterwards 
was  self-educated.  Before  he  became  Principal  of  the  Bow. 
doin  School,  he  taught  as  usher  in  the  first  Franklin 
School  in  18 19.  Previous  to  that,  he  taught  in  Boston  in 
other  schools  and  had  been  transferred  from  the  West- 
Street  School  to  the  Boylston  on  Fort  Hill,  then  to  the 
Hawkins-Street  School,  and  was  an  assistant  in  Milton 
(Massachusetts)  Academy,  for  two  years.  While  teaching 
there,  he  married  Maria  Bronson.  He  had  two  sons  and 
four  daughters.  Two  of  his  daughters,  Frances  and  Mary 
L.,  taught  in  the  Bowdoin  School. 

He  wrote  an  elementary  arithmetic  that  was  intro- 
duced into  the  public  grammar  schools  in  1821,  and  in  1848 
a  large,  advanced  arithmetic;  he  also  published  a  text-book 
on  book-keeping.  The  large  work  is  still  in  use  in  many 
schools  in  the  country,  though  revised  by  other  mathemati- 
cians. It  is  not  strange  that  a  man  of  his  temperament,  a 
highly  nervous  one,  during  the  latter  half  of  so  long  a  pe- 
riod, as  exhausting  as  teaching  is,  should  be  at  times  excita- 
ble; as  one  graduate  expressed  it,  a  "bunch  of  nerves."  If 
some  of  the  children  were  dissatisfied,  their  parents  were 
not.  They  knew  he  was  not  tyrannical  or  revengeful;  that 
there  was  nothing  in  his  government  that  would  be  injuri- 
ous to' their  children;  if  he  sometimes  spoke  sharply  to 
them,  his  manner  would  soon  show  that  he  regretted.     At 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL  123 

the  time  of  a  slight  illness,  in  the  early  years  of  his  teach- 
ing, when  there  appeared  danger  of  losing  him,  a  petition 
was  sent  to  the  general  committee  for  his  retention,  signed 
by  the  very  best  people  of  the  Bowdoin  School  district,  and 
by  the  city  officials.  In  1853,  he  declined  a  re-election,  and 
later  when  his  health  improved,  he  recalled  this  resignation, 
but  this  was  not  allowed.  In  a  few  months,  a  memorial  was 
sent  to  the  School  Board,  signed  by  Rev.  Samuel  Barrett, 
Edwin  H.  Hall,  Josiah  Quincy  and  233  others,  to  appoint 
Mr.  Robinson.  This  petition  resulted  in  his  appointment  as 
assistant  in  penmanship  and  arithmetic.  In  1857,  he  was 
appointed  assistant  in  Arithmetic,Book-keeping  and  Writing 
in  any  public  school  in  the  city  where  he  might  be  needed 
at  $600  salary.  His  name  was  not  mentioned  again  in  con- 
nection with  the  Bowdoin  School,  but  the  School  Board 
went  through  the  form  each  year  of  appointing  him.  In 
1 865  and  1 866,  the  salary  became  $700;  in  1 86y,  $800;  in  1 868, 
$1,000,  and  this  amount  was  continued  as  long  as  he  lived. 

A  note  to  a  report  of  the  schools  for  1903,  by  Edwin 
P.    Seaver,  superintendent  of  schools,  gives  this  account: 

"This  dropping  of  the  old  writing  masters  was 
doubtless  a  cruel  blow  to  most  of  them,  but  it  is  pleasant  to 
record  one  instance,  at  least,  in  which  mercy  was  shown. 
It  is  the  curious  case  of  Mr.  James  Robinson,  writing 
master,  who  drew  his  salary  virtually  as  a  pension,  during 
all  the  latter  years  of  his  long  life  Annually,  when  all  the 
other  teachers  of  the  schools  had  been  appointed,  special 
action  was  taken  in  his  case  and  he  was  appointed  to  per- 
form such  services  and  give  such  instruction  in  arithmetic 
and  book-keeping  as  he  might  be  called  upon  to  perform  by 
the  chairman  of  any  sub-committee,  his  salary  to  be  the 
same  as  the  last  year.  He  went  to  the  City  Hall  every 
quarter  to  draw  his  salary,  but  was  never  called  upon  to  do 
any  work.  Mr.  Robinson's  last  appointment  was  made  by 
the  new  School  Committee  in  September,  1877." 


124  HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL 

Mr.  Robinson  was  a  gentleman  in  appearance  and 
manners;  his  movements  were  quick  but  quiet,  never  ob- 
trusive. He  was  as  enthusiastic  in  his  work  as  Master  as 
Master  Andrews  was  in  his.  His  ways  were  precise;  neatness 
and  exactness  entered  into  all  that  he  did.  Whatever  he 
undertook  to  do,  was  done  well.  I  cannot  think  of  him  as 
leaving  anything  undone  or  anything  carelessly  done.  His 
control  of  the  room  with  its  224  scholars  was  complete. 
There  was  never  any  unnecessary  disturbance;  and  I 
cannot,  in  any  way,  recall  that  any  severity  or  harshness 
was  used  to  obtain  this  order.  He  was  master  of  the  sub- 
jects he  taught  and  an  enthusiast  in  them.  He  taught  one 
of  the  allowed  studies,  now  called  in  the  schools,  I  think, 
Physical  Science,  and  as  one  of  his  pupils  reported,  "He 
made  it  very  interesting  and  she  could  recall  all  that  she 
learned  under  him." 

He  built  up  a  high  reputation  for  the  school  in  his 
department.  If  it  was  possible  to  make  a  scholar  under- 
stand a  mathematical  problem,  he  would  do  it.  His  pupils 
all  becamedistingushed  for  their  penmanship.  As  a  graduate 
has  said,  "A  pupil  of  Master  Andrews  had  to  be  a  good 
speller,"  so  a  pupil  of  Master  Robinson  had  to  write  well. 

The  two  masters  working  harmoniously  and  together 
raised  the  school  to  the  high  position  it  held.  Its  high 
rank  is  still  accorded  to  it  by  the  committee  of  the  present 
time,  a  rank  obtained  and  maintained  by  the  united  efforts 
of  the  two  first  masters. 


CHAPTER    XX. 


Mr.  Daniel  C.  Browne  succeeded  Mr.  Abraham  And- 
rews as  principal  of  the  Bowdoin  in  1855.  He  was  born  in 
Kingston,  N.  H.,  September  5,  1814,  and  received  his  early 
education  in  the  academies  of  Kingston  and  Exeter.  He 
taught  in  Arlington,  Mass.,  and  came  to  Boston  about  1850 
as  usher  in  the  Brimmer  School.  In  1 856  he  was  elected  Mas- 
ter of  the  Bowdoin  School,  which  had  been  for  more  than 
a  generation  under  the  able  instruction  of  Master  Andrews 
and  Master  Robinson. 

June  10,  1884,  the  resignation  of  Daniel  C.  Browne 
was  accepted  and  Mr.  Perkins  offered  the  following:  "Re- 
solved, That  the  Bowdoin  School  Committee  highly  appre- 
ciate the  value  of  the  work  done  by  Mr.  Daniel  C.  Browne, 
during  the  thirty-five  years  of  active  service  in  the  Public 
Schools  of  Boston,  twenty-nine  of  which  have  been  spent 
as  the  able  and  devoted  master  of  the  Bowdoin  School,  and 
heartily  regret  that  he  has  found  it  necessary  on  account  of 
the  state  of  his  health  to  resign  the  office  which  he  has  so 
long  filled  with  credit  to  himself  and  with  great  advantage  to 
the  school.  They  offer  him  the  best  wishes  for  prosperity 
and  happiness  in  his  honorable  retirement,  which  he  seeks 
and  to  which  he  has  so  richly  earned  the  right."  From  a 
Memorial  printed  after  his  death,  the  following  extracts  are 
taken  from  resolutions  unanimously  adopted  by  the  "Boston 
School  Masters'  Association  :"  "Mr.  Brown  by  his  earnest, 
conscientious  life  and  life-long  duty,  by  his  scholarly  attain- 
ments,by  his  unswerving  adherence  to  what  he  believed  to  be 
the  true  and  the  right,  and  by  his  modest,  dignified  and  gen- 
tlemanly bearing,  offers  an  example  worthy  of  all  imitation, 
commanding  our  admiration  and  respect.     We  look  with 

125 


126  HISTORY    OF   THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL 

just  pride  and  satisfaction  upon  the  record  of  a  full  and 
rounded  life,  devoted  for  fifty  years  to  the  cause  of  edua- 
cation;  inspired  with  upright  zeal  for  the  honor  of  the  pro- 
fession; active  with  single  purpose  to  train  the  youth  of  our 
community  to  studious  habits  and  useful  lives. — Mr. 
Brown  would,  I  suppose,  be  called  a  conservative  teacher. 
He  was  never  carried  away  by  new  theories,  never  rode 
hobbies,  and  while  he  was  modest  in  the  presentation  of  his 
views,  never  obtruded  them  on  others.  He  felt  most 
strongly  that  for  himself  he  must  follow  those  methods 
which  long  experience  had  proved  best  for  him.  He  was 
just  old-fashioned  enough  to  believe  in  honest,  thorough 
work  in  the  school-room,  not  only  of  the  teacher  but  of  the 
scholar. — Many  of  his  pupils  in  the  early  years  of  his  teach- 
ing, now  men  and  women  of  mature  life,  most  thankfully 
remember  his  faithful  instructions,  and  will  ever  hold  in 
fond  endearment  the  man  who  constantly  labored  to  fit 
them  to  become  useful  members  of  society.  In  going  to 
the  Bowdoin  School  as  master,  though  he  succeeded  one  of 
the  most  popular  and  thorough  instructors  that  Boston  has 
ever  had  enrolled  on  her  lists  of  teachers,  Father  Andrews, 
as  he  was  familiarly  called,  yet  the  Bowdoin  took  at  once, 
under  his  administration  of  affairs,  a  high  rank  among  the 
rest  of  our  schools,  which  position  she  has  ever  since 
justly  maintained. — Mr.  Brown  took  the  mastership  of  the 
Bowdoin  School  for  girls  on  Beacon  Hill,  which  had  been 
for  more  than  a  generation  under  the  able  direction  of 
Master  Andrews,  the  foremost  school  of  its  class  in  the 
city.  I  take  profound  satisfaction  in  bearing  testimony  to 
the  eminent  ability,  zeal,  fidelity  and  conscientious  devotion 
with  which  Mr.Brown  performed  every  function  and  dis- 
charged every  duty  devolved  upon  him  by  the  important 
position  which  he  held.  He  was  never  found  wanting. — In 
a  word,  to  ennumerate  his  qualifications,  moral  and  intellec- 
tual, is  but  to  recite  the   characteristics  of  qualifications 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL  127 

requisite  to  constitute  the  man  of  noble  character  and  the 
model  school-master." 

Mr.  Brown's  resignation  was  received  June  10,  1884; 
he  died  in  Boston,  July  3,  1884,  aged  69  years,  5  months, 
28  days.  He  married,  somewhate  late  in  life,  Miss  Rose 
Prescott,  a  teacher  in  the  Sharp  School  (Bowdoin  Primary), 
and  his  death  left  a  widow  and  young  daughter,  Rose  Pres- 
cott Brown,  now  Mrs.  Coffin,  of  St.  Louis,  Missouri.  The 
memorial  from  which  the  given  selections  were  taken,  was 
a  very  complete  one  and  too  lengthy  to  insert  here;  neces- 
sarily there  was  more  or  less  repetition  of  the  same 
thoughts  from  different  persons.  Such  selections  were 
taken  as  would  adequately  present  his  life  and  work.  He 
was  given  the  honorary  degree  of  A.  M.  from  Middlebury 
College,  Middlebury,  Vt. 

After  the  resignation  of  Mr.  Daniel  C.  Brown,  Mr.  Dew- 
lin  A.  Hamlin,  who  was  teaching  in  one  of  the  public 
grammar  schools  of  the  city,  a  boys'  school,  was  elected 
master  of  the  Bowdoin  School,  September,  1885.  He  grad- 
uated from  Colby  College,  Waterville,  Me.,  receiving  the  two 
degrees,  A.  B.  in  1871,  and  A.  M.,  in  1874.  Directly 
after  graduation,  he  was  appointed  to  the  Lawrence 
School,  Boston.  In  1886  he  was  transferred  to  the  Rice 
Manual  Training  School,  a  position  which  he  was  thor- 
oughly fitted  to  fill,  thus  remaining  at  the  Bowdoin  School 
only  one  year  and  four  months.  He  remained  in  the  Rice 
School  until  his  death,  in  1893;  having  taught  two  years  in 
Boston. 

Mr.  Hamlin  married,  December  28,  1873,  Laura  A., 
daughter  of  Horace  and  Emeline  (Packard)  Parlin;  they  had 
two  sons  and  one  daughter.  One  of  the  graduates  said, 
"He  always  referred  to  us  as  boys,  much  to  our  amuse- 
ment." The  class  that  graduated  under  him,  refer  to  him 
in  the  pleasantest  way,  saying  they  owe  much  to  his  teach- 


128  HISTORY    OF   THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL 

ing.  He  was  a  man  of  pleasing  personality,  and  was 
much  liked  by  the  entire  class. 

Mr.  Alonzo  Meserve  succeeded  Mr.  Dewlin  A.  Hamlin. 
He  began  teaching  in  Boston  in  the  Bigelow  School,  South 
Boston,  in  September,  1871,  as  usher;  then  was  transferred 
to  the  Prescott  School  as  sub-master,  January,  1874,  and 
was  appointed  master  of  the  Bowdoin  School,  September, 
1886,  where  he  is  still  teaching.  Mr.  Meserve  says  :  "I  was 
born  in  North  Abington,  Mass.,  February  21,  1844.  I 
learned  the  trade  of  shoemaker;  when  I  was  seventeen 
years  old,  I  had  an  intellectual  awakening.  From  seven- 
teen to  twenty-one,  I  took  a  four  years'  course  in  the  High 
School,  attending  school  forenoons  and  spending  the  rest 
of  the  twenty-four  hours  in  working  at  my  trade  and  sleeping 
moderately.  I  then  taught  school  for  a  year,  after  which  I 
entered  the  Bridgewater  Normal,  graduating  in  1868,  and 
immediately  went  to  teaching.  I  have  tried  to  keep  abreast 
of  the  times  by  many  and  varied  courses  of  instruction, 
reading  and  travel." 

Although  Mr.  Meserve  did  not  receive  a  college  edu- 
cation, yet  those  who  have  watched  and  marked  his  work 
as  master  of  the  Bowdoin  School,  and  seen  its  results, 
know  that  he  is  admirably  adapted  for  carrying  out  what  he 
chose  for  his  life-work.  As  a  graduate  of  the  first  quarter 
of  a  century  of  the  Bowdoin  School  lately  remarked: 
"When  I  left  the  school  there  was  no  Girls'  High  School, 
but  with  Master  Andrews  as  teacher,  for  four  years,  and 
Mr.  Pierpont's  American  First  Class  Book,  I  have  never 
felt  myself  an  uneducated  person."  So  Mr.  Meserve,  with 
his  youthful  determination  and  perseverance,  working  and 
studying,  suplementing  these  in  all  his  after  years  with 
constant  and  well  selected  self-instruction,  may  well  be 
classed  in  his  profession  as  a  compeer  with  any  college-ed- 
uted  instructor. 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL  129 

Mr.  Meserve  is  a  man  of  even  temperament;  whatever 
he  decides  is  best  for  a  pupil,  is  unswervingly  worked  out, 
quietly  though  determinedly,  no  matter  what  the  natural 
ability  of  the  child  or  position  in  life  of  her  parents,  or  her 
pleasing  or  unpleasing  personality. 

It  would  be  difficult,  as  well  as  undesirable,  to  com- 
pare the  work  and  its  results  of  the  present  master  of  the 
school,  and  his  efficient  corps  of  the  teachers,  with  those 
of  the  first  half-century.  The  contrast  between  the  early 
residents  of  the  Bowdoin  School  district  and  those  of 
to-day  is  very  great  and,  consequently,  the  home  influence 
in  some  cases  is  as  different,  throwing  a  greater  responsi- 
bility upon  the  teachers.  From  two  or  three  slight  talks 
with  Mr.  Meserve,  I  have  received  the  impression  that  our 
opinions  coincide,  as  to  the  methods  to  be  adopted,  for  the 
best  all-around  instruction  of  the  children  of  to-day,  and  the 
fundamental  principles  underlying  them. 

Whatever  a  child  can  find  out  for  himself,  by  close, 
diligent,  patient  work,  he  should  be  encouraged  to  do,  and 
not  be  told,  although  the  telling  may  save  parent  or 
teacher  some  time  and  labor.  Different  methods  of  gov- 
erning and  instructing  different  races  are  unnecessary;  that 
with  foresight,  patience  and  a  clear  understanding  of  what 
is  to  be  done  and  the  effects  to  be  desired,  the  same  meth- 
ods will  answer  for  all.  Schools  are  primarily  established 
for  the  good  of  the  child.  The  first  effort  to  be  made  is  to 
find  out  the  peculiar  temperament  and  characteristics  of 
the  child,  and  try  to  build  up  a  "good  character;"  then  to 
impart  general  knowledge,  and  while  doing  this,  let  the 
dominant  effort  be  to  train  the  child  for  an  useful  life. 
The  school  life  of  children,  should  be  that  of  a  large,  har- 
monious family,  where  the  teachers  are  so  many  parents,  who 
desire  to  make  the  children  happy,  while  at  the  same  time 
they  are  being  gently  controlled  and  taught  to  observe  and 


130  HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL 

look  into  everything  that  is  told  to  them,  or  seen  around 
them,  and  to  control  themselves.  Children,  if  properly 
taught  and  guided,  will  be  happy  and,  if  happy,  their  minds 
will  be  open  to  the  right  impressions  and  they  will  enjoy 
and  desire  to  do  their  work. 

There  will  be  a  great  difference  in  the  intellectual 
powers  of  a  class  of  students,  but  a  conscientious,  devoted 
teacher  will  never  neglect  the  weaker  intellect,  but  will 
smile  upon  and  encourage  every  effort,  however  simple  or 
crude.  Dr.  Arnold  said:  "If  there  is  any  thing  on  earth, 
which  is  truly  admirable,  it  is  to  see  God's  mission  bless- 
ing an  inferiorty  of  natural  powers,  when  they  have  been 
honestly  and  zelously  cultivated"  Mr.  Meserve  is  one  well 
calculated  to  carry  out  this  mission  of  God.  His  manner 
to  the  older  ones  is  that  of  one  strongly  interested  in  them, 
ready  to  aid  them  in  what  they  are  seeking  to  do,  and  his 
manner  to  the  little  ones,  no  matter  the  color  or  race,  is 
very  gentle.  I  noticed  this  particularly  in  two  visits  to  the 
school;  some  little  ones  were  sent  in  to  the  office  to  speak 
to  the  master,  probably  to  confess  some  misdemeanor,  but 
although  shy  and  ashamed,  were  not  afraid. 

At  the  reunion,  1906,  of  Bowdoin  Alumnae  Association, 
Mr.  Meserve  said,  in  his  remarks  at  the  banquet:  "The  cry 
is  going  out  again,  that  we  are  giving  too  much  attention 
to  many  things  in  our  schools,  but  although  the  teachers  of 
the  threeR.s,  playfully  so-called,  may  have  seemed  sufficient 
hitherto,  the  sooner  we  begin  to  teach  the  three  H.s,  the 
Head,  the  Heart  and  the  Hand,  or,  in  another  phrase,  the 
Moral,  the  Mental  and  the  Manual,  the  better  it  will  be  for 
the  children  and  the  community  of  the  future,  which  will  be 
formed  by  them.  He  also  stated,  that  a  Penny  Savings 
Bank  for  the  children  had  been  started,  and  many  of  them 
have  quite  an  amount  in  the  bank. 

Master  Andrews  served  the  school  thirty-three  years; 
Master  Robinson,  thirty  years;  Master  Brown,  twenty-nine 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL  131 

years;Master  Meserve,twenty-four  years  and  is  still  teaching. 
May  the  Bowdoin  School  retain  him  and  have  the  blessing 
and  benefit  of  his  guidance  and  teaching  until  the  century 
anniversary  comes  round,  in  1921!  Masters  Andrews  and 
Robinson  were  serving  at  the  same  time,  so  three  successive 
masters  have  given  eighty-five  years  of  service. 

Mr.  Meserve  married  Abbie  M.  May  of  Randolph, 
December  27,  1870.  They  had  ten  children,  but  the  first 
died  in  infancy.  Five  have  received  a  college  education  and 
it  is  intended  to  give  the  other  four  equal  advantages.  The 
five  have  all  been  teaching,  four  of  them  still  continuing 
the  work. 

William  M.  Evarts,  who  entered  the  school  when  he 
was  seven,  in  1825,  and  took  a  medal  in  1828,  was  the  first 
scholar  in  his  class.  He  was  ten  when  he  entered  the 
Latin  School.  He  was  not  disposed  to  enter  the  usual  boy- 
ish games.  William  M.  Evarts  was  appointed  Attorney 
General  under  Andrew  Jackson  and,  in  1877,  Secretary  of 
State,  during  the  four  years  of  Rutherford  B.  Hayes'  admin- 
istration.    He  died  in  New  York,  February  28,  1900. 

Edward  A.  G.  Roulstone  was  born  in  Boston,  April  2, 
1818,  and  attended  the  Bowdoin  School,  He  was  a  manu- 
faucturer  of  trunks,  bags  and  military  equipments,  his  fac- 
tory and  store  being  on  Hanover  Street  and  Tremont  Row. 
He  is  not  living. 

Mr.  William  B.  Wright,  a  Bowdoin  boy,  went  into  the 
drug  business,  corner  of  Revere  and  West  Cedar  streets, 
and  was  there  for  many  years.  Since  his  death  the  busi- 
ness has  been  carried  on  by  his  son. 

Francis  Sumner,  brother  of  Charles  Sumner,  attended 
the  Bowdoin  School,  and  it  is  upon  the  old  Sumner  home- 
stead that  the  present  building  now  stands. 

Mr.  Henry  Winship,  a  well-known  business  man  of 
Boston,  attended  the  Bowdoin  School.      He  has  been  for 


132  HISTORY    OF   THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL 

many  years  in  the  trunk  and  bag  business.  He  is  about 
ninety  years  old. 

Mr.  Emory  Souther  attended  the  school,  leaving  it 
when  the  transfer  of  boys  to  other  schools  were  made  in 
1830.  When  his  grammar  school  education  was  finished,  he 
served  a  long  apprenticeship  with  Mr.  F.  Towle,  a  druggist, 
corner  of  Leverett  and  Greene  streets.  In  1843  he  started 
a  drug  store  for  himself,  at  the  corner  of  Lyman  Place  and 
Greene  Street  and  remained  there  until  a  few  years  ago. 
He  was  for  some  time  the  oldest  apothecary  in  Boston. 
He  was  one  of  the  first  to  manufacture  "Cod  Liver  Oil." 
He  resided  at  the  West  End.  He  died  in  March,  1907, 
aged  87  years. 

Francis  C.  Bryant,  though  not  a  close  student,  became 
successful  as  a  business  man,  and  was  elected  secretary  of 
the  "Board  of  Water-Commissioners"  at  St.  Louis  in  1880. 

Thomas  Gould  was  born  in  Boston,  1818,  and  died  in 
Boston  in  1881.  He  studied  art  under  Seth  Cheney;  re- 
sided in  Florence,  1868  to  1878,  after  which  he  practised 
his  profession  of  Sculpture  in  Boston.  He  has  been  con- 
sidered by  many  the  strongest  idealistic  sculptor  of  the 
nineteenth  century.  Besides  the  busts  of  several  noted 
people,  his  best  known  works  are  "West  Wind,"  "Ariel," 
"Cleopatra,"  "Timon  of  Athens,"  "Christ,"  "Satan."  His 
last  two  works  were  colossal  heads,  in  relief,  on  the  Herald 
building. 

Charles  Clark  Meade,  a  graduate,  is  still  living. 


CHAPTER    XXI. 


Miss  Mary  A.  Murdock  was  a  graduate  of  the  Bowdoin 
School,  taking  a  medal  in  1829.  The  fall  of  the  same  year 
she  bcame  a  teacher  in  the  school  at  a  salary  of  $50  per 
year.  This  was  during  the  time  the  monitorial  method 
was  being  tried.  She  resigned  after  thirty-five  years  of 
teaching  and  could  not  be  persuaded  by  the  committee  to 
withdraw  her  resignation.  At  the  time  of  her  retirement, 
her  salary  was  $600  per  year.  One  pupil  writes  of  her 
thus:  "As  an  instructor  she  had  a  happy  faculty  of  impart- 
ing what  she  knew  to  her  pupils,  and  she  was  clear  and 
thorough  in  her  explanation  of  any  difficult  point  that 
might  come  up  in  the  course  of  the  lesson.  In  the  man- 
agement of  her  pupils  she  combined  mildness  with  firm- 
ness." Her  personal  appearance,  mien  and  carriage  were 
noticeable,  giving  an  impression  of  dignity  and  refinement. 
Her  brown  hair,  always  arranged  in  a  glossy  French  twist, 
dazzling  white,  slightly  large  teeth,  well-open  brown  eyes 
beneath  a  well-formed  brow,  she  retained  almost  intact 
during  a  long  life.  She  was  born  in  August,  1814,  and 
died  in  August,  1901.  Her  death  was  caused  by  a  fall 
in  1898  when  her  hip  was  broken.  She  never  left 
the  house  afterward,  but  she  was  moved  and  moved  herself 
in  a  rolling  chair.  For  a  few  months  only  was  she  confined 
to  her  bed,  and  during  that  time  her  brilliant  mind  seemed 
to  give  way. 

At  the  time  of  her  resignation,  as  teacher  of  the  Bow- 
doin School,  she  received  the  following  handsome  recogni- 
tion of  her  work  as  a  teacher: 


131 


134  HISTORY    OF    THE   BOWDOIN    SCHOOL 

Boston,  April  5,  1864. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Bowdoin  School  District  Committee,  this  reso- 
lution was  passed  and  sent  to  Miss  Murdock  : 

"The  Commitee  have  received  with  regret  the  resignation  of  Miss 
Mary  A.  Murdock,  as  head  assistant  of  the  Bowdoin  School. 

"Resolved,  In  accepting  this  resignation,  the  Committee  desire  to  ex- 
press their  grateful  recognition  of  the  judicious,  faithful  and  successful 
manner  in  which,  for  many  years  and  in  various  positions,  Miss  Murdock 
has  performed  all  her  duties,  and  their  sense  of  obligation  for  the  effect- 
ive services  she  rendered  in  maintaining  and  promoting  the  interest  and 
reputation  of  the  school. 

"The  Committee  take  this  opportunity  to  convey  to  Miss  Murdock. 
their  best  wishes  for  her  future  welfare." 

WALBRIDGE  A.  FIELD, 

Sec.  Bowdoin  Sch.  Dist.  Com. 

Mrs.  Philena  Winship  Perrin  was  a  pupil  at  the  school 
until  the  transference  of  the  pupils  who  lived  north  of 
Greene  Street,  to  the  new  Wells  School  in  1833.  She  re- 
membered much  of  her  school  days  in  the  Bowdoin,  often 
speaking  of  the  teachers  and  with  special  appreciation  of 
the  work  of  the  two  principals,  Masters  Andrews  and  Rob- 
inson. Her  sons,  Prof.  Marshall  Livingston  Perrin,  of  Bos- 
ton University,  and  Rev.  Willard  T.  Perrin  survive  her.  Her 
home  was  a  typical  New  England  home,  where  it  was  a  de- 
lightful and  instructive  privilege  to  visit.  The  last  time  I 
was  there,  the  kind  and  amount  of  work  which  Mrs.  Perrin 
performed  daily  seemed  a  marvel  to  me,  she  being  in  her 
eighty-fourth  year.  Prof.  Perrin  has  been  for  many  years 
Superintendent  of  the  Wellesley  schools.  He  writes:  "Mrs. 
Perrin  had  for  fourteen  years  previous  to  her  death  kept 
all  the  accounts  of  school  expenditure,  making  out  the  pay 
rolls  and  expense  sheets,  according  to  which,  after  approval 
by  the  school-board,  payments  were  made  by  the  town 
treasurer.  She  had  the  book-keeping  connected  with  the 
School   and    Public    Library  departments  and   had  made, 


HISTORY   OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL  135 

wholly  herself,  the  separate  statistical  and  financial  reports 
of  the  town.  Besides  this  work,  she  also  kept  the  detailed 
accounts  of  the  subscriptions  of  the  Boston  University  Al- 
umni History  Professorship  Fund,  sending  out  requests, 
reminders  and  receipts  and  making  full  report  from  time 
to  time."  Mrs.  Perrin  led  a  comparatively  quiet  life  for  the 
last  quarter  of  a  century,  as  she  was  always  somewhat  del- 
icate in  health.  The  tie  between  her,  her  two  sons  and  a 
grandson  was  extremely  close  and  congenial.  She  was  proud 
of  her  sons,  and  they  were  proud  of  and  devoted  to  her,  as 
well  they  may  have  been,  when  we  consider  what  she  was 
able  to  do  in  her  84th  year.     She  died  March  16,  1908. 

Mrs.  Sarah  Mitchell  Judkins  graduated  in  1835,  a 
medal  scholar.  She  taught  in  the  Bowdoin  for  two  years, 
1850  and  1851,  and  then  she  married.  Mrs.  Judkins  is  a 
woman  of  great  delicacy  and  refinement,  joined  to  a  fine 
intellect.  Her  writings  have  been  published  in  papers  and 
magazines  and  a  small  book  was  printed  for  private  circula- 
tion. Two  of  her  short  poems  are  given  elsewhere  in  this 
history.     The  following  are,  I  think,  her  best  poems: 

THE  DEAD  BISHOP'S  LAST  WORD— "HOME." 

A  brave  day's  work  in  the  vineyard, 
Where  the  purple  clusters  grow; 
Forming,  tying  the  branches, 
'Till  the  sun  is  sinking  low, 
A  long  day's  work  in  the  pasture, 
While  guiding  the  flocks  as  they  stray; 
Urging  on  the  wayward  stragglers, 
Guiding  the  weak  by  the  way, 

And  then  "Home." 

Then  he  left  the  vines  to  ripen, 
'Neath  others'  fostering  care; 
Left  the  velvety  pastures, 
With  the  flock  still  feeding  there. 


136  HISTORY    OF   THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL 

A  voice  had  come  in  the  stillness, 
On  the  wings  of  the  midnight  air — 
A  voice  unheard  by  the  watchers, 
Though  watching  so  closly  there. 

"Home — Home." 

Others  must  gather  the  vintage, 

The  fruit  of  your  toiling, 

Another  bring  home  your  flocks, 

With  the  shepherd's  calling  song. 

Louder  the  call  and  yet  louder, 

Though  the  watchers  caught  ne'er  a  word, 

The  soul  of  the  loving  toiler, 

The  summons  to  come,  had  heard. 

"Home — Home." 

And  so  just  before  the  dawning, 

Just  at  the  breaking  of  day, 

While  sleep  was  on  the  city, 

The  Master  called  him  away. 

A  moan  went  up  from  the  thousands 

When  the  light  of  that  day  beamed  bright, 

And  the  sunshine  as  it  glinted 

Seemed  alike  dead  of  night. 

And  then  "Home." 

QUESTIONINGS. 

How  many  years  of  my  life  remain, 
Oh,  how  many  years  I  say  ? 

Can  you  tell  of  the  time  of  my  death  to  me, 
Tell  either  the  hour  or  the  day  ? 

Nay,  the  Father  knoweth — not  you  or  I. 

What  of  the  love  that  shall  gird  me  round, 
How  strong  shall  it  circling  be  ? 

Shall  it  keep  me  safe  in  its  sheltering  arms 
Whatever  the  storm  may  be  ? 

Nay,  the  Father  knoweth,  not  you  or  I. 

What  can  you  tell  of  my  journey's  end, 
Or  what  will  their  ending  be  ? 


ALONZO   MESERVE. 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL  137 

Shall  the  friends  I  have  loved  be  around  me  then 

To  strengthen  and  comfort  me  ? 
Nay,  the  Father  knoweth,  not  you  or  I. 

What  of  beyond  when  my  feet  shall  stand 

On  the  banks  of  farther  shore  ? 
Shall  a  welcome  come  from  the  lips  I  love, 

Of  those  who  have  gone  before  ? 
Nay,  the  Father  knoweth — not  you  or  I. 

Miss  Caroline  M.  Plummer,  1839,  writes  occasional  po- 
ems, one  of  which,  written  for  the  1873  reunion,  has  been 
given  in  the  account  of  that  reunion. 

Mrs.  Susan  Whitwell-Leeds,  class  of  1840,  who  writes 
occasional  poems,  wrote  one  for  the  1873  reunion.  As  she 
once  expressed  it,  "I  married  early,  as  did  most  of  the  class 
of  1840,  and  we  devoted  our  time  and  talents  to  our  families. 
That  surely  ought  to  make  us  noteworthy." 

Mrs.  Eleanor  Pearson,  March,  1840,  is  noted  in  philan- 
thopic  work  in  Boston. 

Miss  Anna  Baily,  1840,  was  a  very  fine  scholar  and 
very  successful  in  her  chosen  life-work;  but  just  as  she 
had  obtained  a  position  of  great  responsibility  and  trust  and 
was  returning  home,  she  fell  on  her  own  door-steps.  She 
was  severely  injured  and  made  a  cripple,  confined  to  the 
house  for  life.  She  has  now  lost  the  sight  of  one  eye. 
In  bearing  what  must  have  been  a  keen  disappointment, 
the  shattering  of  her  plans,  with  patience  and  resignation, 
she  certainly  has  won  a  name  to  be  honored  aud  remem- 
bered. 

Miss  Lucretia  Crocker,  1840,  was  a  successful  teacher 
and  one  of  the  first  four  women  who  were  elected  on  the 
School  Board  of  Boston  in  1874.  She  was  placed  on  the 
District  Committee  of  the  Lewis  and  Dudley  Schools;  also 
on  the  committees  of  the  Industrial  and  the  Girls'  High 
Schools.  In  1880,  she  was  elected  one  of  the  four  first  Su- 
pervisors of  the  city  schools  for  a  long  time  doing  fine  work. 


138  HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL 

Miss  Harriet  Havves,  a  medal  scholar  of  1842,  remained 
in  the  school  another  year.  In  1844  she  went  to  Mount 
Holyoke  Seminary,  now  a  college,  as  assistant  pupil,  teach- 
ing vocal  and  instrumental  music.  She  graduated  in  Miss 
Lyons'  last  class  and  went  at  once  to  Tuscaloosa,  Ala.,  to 
teach  in  a  seminary.  She  was  there  two  and  a  half  years. 
She  then  taught  instrumental  music  in  Boston  to  private  pu- 
pils. In  1855  and  1856  she  taught  in  Blairsville,  (Pennsylva- 
nia,) Seminary.  She  afterwards  taught  in  the  Western 
Female  Seminary,  Oxford,  Ohio;  she  was  there  19  years, 
teaching  music  at  first,  then  literature.  She  was  given  a 
year's  vacation  and  returned  to  Boston.  During  this  year, 
1877,  she  was  offered  the  position  of  librarian  of  Wellesley 
College  and  is  now  there  as  librarian  emeritus,  still  spending 
most  of  her  time  in  the  library. 

Miss  Adelaide  Phillips  attended  the  Bowdoin  School  in 
1845  or  1846.  She  sang  in  opera;  studied  music  in  Boston, 
afterwards  in  Europe.  The  following  is  copied  from  the 
Boston  Daily  Advertiser  of  August  27,  1863:  "Miss  Ad- 
elaide Phillips  has  been  singing  in  some  of  the  provincial 
cities  of  France  and  has  met  with  great  success.  Speaking 
of  her  performance  of  the  part  of  'Leonora'  which  she  sang 
at  her  benefit,  the  'Journal  d'Amiens'  uses  the  following 
highly  complimentary  language:  'The  part  of  Leonora 
filled  by  the  young  beneficiary,  offered  fresh  oppportunity 
for  the  display  of  all  her  versatality  and  the  charm  of  her 
genius.  As  she  had  shown  herself  charming  and  sparkling 
in  'Rigoletto'  and  'Barber,'  so  has  she  shown  herself  im- 
passioned and  dramatic  in  'II  Trovatore'  and  'La  Favorite.' 
Happy  privilege  of  her  glorious  and  flexible  mezzo-soprano 
voice,  which  passes  with  perfect  ease  and  equal  beauty  from 
the  most  delicate  expression,  from  the  lightest  and  most 
brilliant  expression  fiorituri  to  the  deepest  tones,  to  the 
most   stirring  accents.      We  chronicle  with  pleasure  the 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL  139 

tumultuous  clapping  and  applause,  the  calls,  the  bouquets, 
all  of  which  consecrated  the  dazzling  and  legitimate  success 
of  Miss  Phillips.' " 

Miss  Sarah  E.  Adams,  medal  scholar,  in  1846,  first 
taught  in  the  Bowdoin  School  for  a  short  time,  then  in  the 
Phillips  School,  returning  to  the  Bowdoin  School  under  Mr. 
Brown.  She  resigned  to  become  assistant  in  a  private  school 
for  two  years;  then  was  governess  for  twelve  years  in  a  fam- 
ily; and  at  last  taught  private  pupils  in  her  home.  She  has  led 
a  useful  and  honored  life,  but  is  now  somewhat  of  an  invalid. 

Caroline  Francis  Loring,  medal  scholar,  1846.  She 
was  a  briliant  scholar.  She  went  to  the  State  Normal 
School  at  West  Newton  when  the  famous  "Father  Pierce" 
was  principal.  After  her  graduation  from  that  school  she 
taught  in  one  of  the  public  schools  of  Boston  until  her 
marriage,  in  1854.  She  went  in  a  sailing  vessel  around 
Cape  Horn  to  San  Francisco;  there  she  was  married  to 
George  H.  Loring  of  Boston.  Her  husband  died  young; 
and  she  died  in  the  fall  of  1907,  leaving  one  daughter. 

Mary  Joslin  Thorn,  1846,  medal  scholar.  She  entered 
the  Bowdoin  School  in  1845,  previous  to  that  time  she  had 
taught  school  in  Leominster,  Mass.  She  intended  to  fit  for 
a  teacher  for  one  of  the  public  schools  of  Boston,  but  just 
after  her  graduation,  her  aunt,  with  whom  she  was 
staying,  died,  leaving  a  boy  and  two  girls.  She  gave 
up  thoughts  of  school  teaching,  to  bring  up  these 
motherless  children,  who  were  at  just  the  age  to  need  pa- 
tient, loving  care.  Afterwards  she  married  a  widower  with 
two  young  daughters  of  just  the  age  to  need  kind,  patient 
care.  She  was  a  devoted,  judicious  mother  and  if  she  lost 
the  opportunity  of  becoming  famous  as  a  Boston  school 
teacher,  she  certainly  did  her  full  duty  in  training  up  six 
children  in  "the  way  they  should  go."  Her  husband  was 
Nathaniel  G.  Thom  of  Providence. 


140  HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL 

Leah  Nichols-Wellington,  medal  scholar,  1846,  after 
graduation  attended  the  Rev.  Hubbard  Winslow's  School, 
Mt.  Vernon  Place.  She  was  obliged  to  leave  at  the  end  of 
the  year  on  account  of  ill  health.  Mr.  Winslow's  school  was 
as  thorough  in  giving  his  pupils  an  advanced  education  as 
are  the  best  preparatory  schools  to-day  in  fitting  pupils  for 
college.  As  her  health  improved  she  took  private  lessons. 
In  1858  she  married  Andrew  Wellington  of  Lexington, 
Mass.  She  graduated  from  the  Boston  Normal  Art  School 
in  1877.  In  Jauuary,  1877,  sne  was  placed  in  charge  of  the 
Art  Department  at  Wellesley  College,  which  position  she 
resigned  in  the  summer  of  1883. 

Mrs.  Marcy  A.  Smith-Vennard,  was  a  medal  scholar 
1846.  She  returned  to  the  school  for  another  year's  work 
and  in  185 1  she  was  appointed  a  teacher  in  the  school.  She 
was  an  able  teacher,  very  firm  but  gentle.  At  one  of  the  Bow- 
doin  reunions  one  of  her  old  pupils  told  me  that  at  first  she 
was  afraid  of  her,  but  soon  became  very  fond  of  her.  She 
began  with  the  youngest  class  and  was  promoted  until  she 
was  master's  assistant.  She  resigned  in  1863  and  married  Mr. 
Henry  Vennard.  She  possessed  fine  business  ability  and 
after  her  husband's  death,  she  was  chosen  to  fill  his  place  as 
trustee  of  a  very  large  church.     She  died  in  the  fall  of  1907. 

Mrs.  Elizabeth  Stimpson-Hubbard,  was  also  a  medal 
scholar,  1846,  of  the  Bowdoin  School.  She  was  a  faithful, 
earnest  student,  not  excelling  in  one  specialty,  but  excellent 
in  all.  She  was  married  to  Rev.  Isaac  G.  Hubbard,  Rector 
of  Grace  Church,  Manchester,  N.  H.  Here  they  remained 
for  twenty  years.  He  was  obliged  to  resign  on  account  of 
ill  health. 

The  six  medal  scholars  mentioned  were  all  living  in 
1904.  Three  of  them,  Miss  Sarah  E.  Adams,  Mrs.  Leah 
Nichols-Wellington  and  Mrs.  Marcy  A.  Smith-Vennard, 
were  at  the  1903  reunion,  and  a  few  words  were  spoken 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL  141 

about  the  other  three,  who  had  sent  letters.  Now,  sixty-one 
years  after  their  graduation,  two  are  now  living,  Elizabeth 
S.  Hubbard  and  Leah  N.  Wellington. 

Miss  Maria  Whitwell,  sister  of  Mrs.  Susan  Leeds, 
graduated  from  the  Bowdoin  in  1845  or  1846.  She  was 
one  of  those  who  planned  and  carried  to  such  a  successful 
issue  the  reunion  of  1873.  It  was  the  only  reunion  held 
until  the  one  in  1903. 


CHAPTER   XXII. 


Miss  Harriet  Caryl,  a  medal  scholar  of  1851,  afterward 
graduated  from  the  Girls'  High  and  Normal  School,  and 
was  elected  teacher  of  the  school  in  1855,  and  resigned  in 
1903,  after  nearly  a  half-century  of  teaching.  One  who 
knew  her  well  said  :  "The  pupils  remember  her  teaching, 
clear,  persistent,  patient,  but  all  lessons  are  forgotten,  they 
remember  her.  The  dullest  recognize  her  honesty,  clear  as 
the  day;  her  simplicity  and  her  humility  of  mind;  the  utter 
devotion  to  duty,  and  the  unfailing  kindness  that,  like  the 
sunshine  of  the  Lord,  'falls  on  the  evil  and  the  good,  on 
the  just  and  the  unjust."' 

Miss  May  Newell,  graduated  in  1853.  She  was  for 
thirty-two  years  assistant  editor  of  the  Youth's  Companion. 

Miss  Emmerline  D.  Fish  graduated  in  1853,  then 
completed  the  three  years'  course  at  the  Girls'  High 
School.  She  taught  a  primary  school  from  December, 
1856,  to  July,  1862;  next  taught  in  a  graded  school  for  eight 
years.  She  learned  to  teach  articulation  and  lip-reading 
to  the  deaf  and  had  private  pupils,  for  longer  or  shorter 
periods,  for  several  years.  She  wrote:  "I  was  greatly 
pleased  to  attend  the  exhibition  of  the  Bowdoin  School  in 
1903,  my  semi-centennial;  although  the  class  of  population 
is  greatly  changed,  the  pupils,  I  think,  made  quite  as  good 
a  showing  as  in  the  clays  of  Auld  Lang  Syne." 

Miss  Mary  Skinner  of  the  class  of  1853,  after  gradua- 
tion from  the  Bowdoin,  her  family  having  removed  to  Cam- 
bridge, took  the  full  course  in  the  High  School  of  that 
city,  being  the  only  girl  in  the  college  course.  There  was 
no  prospect  then  of  colleges  for  girls,  but  she  wish- 
ed   the    best    education.      After    teaching    in     different 

142 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL  143 

States,  she  was  connected  with  the  Western  Reserve 
College,  Oxford,  Ohio,  for  thirty-two  years.  She  has 
retired,  a  beneficiary  of  the  Carnegie  Fund. 

Miss  Helen  Mellen,  medal  scholar,  1853,  was  acting 
librarian  of  Tufts  College  from  1869  to  1894  inclusive,  and 
after  1884  was  made  librarian,  which  position  she  still  oc- 
cupies, making  forty  years  of  consecutive  work. 

Miss  Sarah  Pierce  Currier  of  1854,  went  to  the  Girls' 
High  and  Normal  School;  then  taught  from  1858  to  1863 
in  Lynn;  from  1865  to  1888  in  the  House  of  Refuge,  Ran- 
dall's Island,  N.  Y  ;  afterward  three  years  in  Brookfield, 
making  in  all  thirty  years,  ending  in  1891. 

Miss  Mary  Scates-Barry,  1854,  was  afterward  a  suc- 
cessful teacher  in  the  Boston  High  School. 

Miss  Flora  Barry  was  a  successful  opera  singer. 

Miss  Irene  Wentvvorth,  who  taught  for  forty-one  years, 
with  only  one  special  vacation,  was  very  much  respected 
and  beloved  by  her  pupils.  Her  long  service  proves  the 
esteem  in  which  she  was  held  by  several  successive  School 
Boards.  Her  term  of  service  was  longer  than  that  of  any 
of  the  teachers,  from  1857,  to  1898,  the  year  of  her  death. 

Miss  Martha  Palmer  taught  in  the  Bowdoin  School 
from  1854  to  1878,  twenty-four  years.  An  earnest,  faithful, 
conscientious  teacher,  she  is  still  living  and  retains  her  in- 
terest in  the  Bowdoin  School. 

Miss  Emily  G.  Wetherbee,  was  a  teacher  from  1864  to 
1869.  The  school-house,  she  refers  to  in  the  following 
poem,  was  not  the  old  Derne-Street  building,  but  the  second 
one,  which  stood  where  the  third  one  now  stands,  on 
Myrtle  street.  Miss  Wetherbee  died  in  1897,  so  probably 
never  saw  the  new  building  when  completed. 

THE  OLD  BOWDOIN  SCHOOL-HOUSE. 

High  on  the  hill,  storm  and  tempest  braving, 
For  years  it  has  looked  down, 


144  HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL 

A  pleasant  land-mark  and  a  friendly  beacon, 
Upon  this  busy  town. 

But  to  grander  and  statelier  temple, 

It  soon  must  yield  its  place; 
As  in  life's  course,  the  old  and  feeble-hearted, 

Are  banished  from  the  race. 

I  greet  you  all,  with  loving,  fond  remembrance, 

Where  e'er  your  lot  is  cast; 
Deep  in  my  heart  of  hearts,  I  cherish  ever 
Sweet  pictures  of  the  past. 

We'll  ne'er  forget  the  dear,  old-fashioned  school-house, 

Dismantled  though  it  be, 
And  pledge  our  love,  as  in  our  youth's  fair  promise 

Old  Bowdoin  now  to  thee. 

Had  these  walls  language,  what  a  tale  they'd  utter, 

Of  happy  girlhood  fair; 
Of  merry  feet,  that  entered  at  their  portals 

And  climbed  the  winding  stair. 

In  this  old  school-house,  many  years  a  teacher 

I  learned  to  love  the  place; 
Rich  with  the  sunshine  of  youth's  golden  promise 

From  every  radiant  face. 

Dear  girls,  now  grown  to  womanhood's  fair  station, 

Filling  life's  larger  sphere, 
Do  memories  of  the  dim  and  far  off  school  life, 

E'er  come  your  hearts  to  cheer  ? 

The  lessons  learned,  the  earnest,  true  endeavor, 

Have  all  these  helped  you  bear 
The  cruel  failures  of  the  world's  hard  conflict, 

The  crosses  and  the  care  ? 

Miss  Harriet  Choate  was  teacher  for  only  a  year,  but 
seems  to  have  entered  firmly  into  the  hearts  of  her  pupils 
She  was  head  assistant.  In  response  to  a  letter,  she  sends 
the  following  sketch  which  her  many  pupils  will  be  glad  to 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL  145 

read.  She  was  married  and  went  finally  to  Australia, 
where  she  is  now  living.  This  letter  was  received,  Septem- 
ber 28,  1906:  "My  connection  with  the  school  was  of  very 
short  duration,  but  I  always  felt  that  I  was  most  kindly 
treated  and  to  be  remembered  after  all  these  years  seems 
too  good  to  be  true.  (She  left  in  1866).  Through  the  kind- 
ness of  Miss  Mary  Edna  Mecuen,  I  received  a  programme 
of  the  second  annual  reunion,  having  Mr.  Brown's  picture 
on  the  print  and  the  likeness  was  life-like.  From  the  chair- 
man of  the  committee,  Dr.  Lamson,  at  that  time,  and  Mr. 
Brown,  I  met  nothing  but  kindness  and  was  helped  in  every 
way,  for  I  was  young  and  not  very  experienced.  The  girls, 
too,  were  a  delight,  several  of  them  very  clever,  and  then 
the  Misses  Harves  and  Stockbridge,  exceptionally  good. 
I  remember  Miss  Gale,  the  valedictorian  of  1866,  also  Miss 
Chase,  both  of  them  given  to  verse  making.  You  also  say, 
there  are  teachers  there  now  who  were  there  when  I  was 
there  in  1865!  I  am  sorry  to  say  that  I  cannot  remember 
them,  even  by  name.  If  they  have  been  teaching  all  these 
years,  they  certainly  are  of  the  stuff  that  heroes  are  made! 
I  don't  believe  any  State  but  Massachusetts,  or  shall  I  say, 
the  New  England  states,  could  put  up  a  record  like  that! 
I  have  seen  in  the  home  papers,  the  subject  mooted  of 
pensions  tor  teachers  of  long  service!  I  wonder  the  mat- 
ter has  not  been  carried  out  long  ago  in  Boston,  of  all 
places!  A  life  work  like  that  ought  to  have  the  recognition 
of  the  states. 

"As  to  the  details  of  our  time  at  the  Bowdoin,  I  am 
afraid  I  cannot  give  you  anything  worth  recording;  one 
forgets  much  in  forty  years,  especially  if  one's  life  has  not 
been  in  one's  early  home.  When  I  left  Boston,  I  first  went 
with  my  husband  to  the  East  Indies;  then  we  returned  to 
the  States  and  in  a  few  years  came  here,  a  little  more  than 
thirty  years  ago.     This,  as  you  know,  is  an  English  colony 


146  HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL 

and  I  have  met  many  delightful  people  and  made  many 
warm  friendships  here.  The  conditions  of  life  are  very 
much  the  same  as  with  you,  I  doubt  not,  only  we  are  per- 
haps more  cosmopolitan,  being  on  the  direct  line  between 
England,  the  States  and  Australia.  We  seem  very  near 
to  San  Francisco,  being  only  three  weeks  away,  and  many 
New  Zealanders  have  gone  there  to  finish  their  education 
at  the  many  colleges.  For  its  size  and  age,  coming  under 
British  control  in  1840,  this  place  has  made  wonderful 
strides.  I  am  afraid  all  this  will  not  interest  you  much. 
I  am  sorry  I  could  not  do  better,  but  I  can  only  express 
my  gratitude  for  being  remembered  at  all,  after  the  years 
past." — Harriet  M.  Choate-Goodhue,  Auckland,  New 
Zealand. 

Miss  Ella  A.  Fairbanks,  1865,  has  made  a  specialty  of 
flower  painting  in  water  color.  She  also  has  taken  up  decora- 
tion of  porcelain  and  has  been  a  member  of  the  Mineral 
Art  League  since  its  formation,  fifteen  years  ago,  of  which 
she  has  been  president  for  five  years.  This  club  was 
formed  for  the  mutual  improvement  of  its  members  in  the 
art  of  mineral  painting  and  has  done  a  great  deal  to  raise 
the  standard  in  their  particular  branch  of  art.  She  is  one 
of  the  directors  of  the  "Fairbanks  Family  Association"  and 
vice-president  of  the  Woman's  Auxiliary.  She  graduated 
from  the  Girls'  High  and  Normal  in  1868;  commenced  her 
art  studies  and  is  still  studying  as  well  as  teaching.  She 
was  for  a  time  president  of  the  Girls'  High  School  Alumnae 
Association. 

Mrs.  Amanda  A.  Marble-Kelly  was  a  graduate  of  the 
Bowdoin,  1865,  and  graduated  from  the  High  School  in 
1868.  She  is  now  on  the  board  of  its  directors.  She  is 
president  of  The  Miner  Charitable  Society. 

Mrs.  Christine  McDonald-Jefferson,  1866,  sings  in  light 
opera. 


HISTORY    OF   THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL  147 

Miss  Julia  G.  L.  Morse,  1883,  is  a  teacher  in  the  Bow- 
doin  School  district,  a  school  where  the  children  are  five 
years  old.  The  teaching  of  little  ones  is  the  most  difficult 
branch  of  the  teaching  profession,  requiring  not  only  infi- 
nite patience,  but  an  exact  knowledge  of  many  things  and 
the  art  of  checking  the  too  active  intellect,  and  sympa- 
thizing with  the  slower  ones.  She  always  guides  by  the 
law  of  love,  but  requires  quick  obedience. 

Miss  Abbie  Farwell  Brown,  1886,  was  the  valedictorian 
of  her  class.  She  graduated  from  the  Bowdoin  School,  then 
from  the  Latin  School  and  took  a  special  course  in  Rad- 
cliffe  College.  She  is  the  author  of  several  books,  some  of 
which  are  used  as  text  books  in  the  schools.  The  best 
known  of  her  books  are,  "The  Book  of  Saints  and  Friendly 
Beasts,"  and  "The  Lonesomest  Doll."  She  sent  a  special 
tribute  to  the  teachers  of  the  Bowdoin  School,  which  is 
given  elsewhere,  and  she  kindly  sent  the  following  poems, 
at  my  request. 

Trees.     From  "THE  STAR  JEWELS  AND  OTHER  POEMS." 

However  little  I  may  be, 
At  least,  I  too  can  plant  a  tree 
And  some  day,  it  will  grow  so  high 
That  it  can  whisper  with  the  sky, 
And  spread  its  leafy  branches  wide 
To  make  a  shade  on  every  side. 
Then  on  a  sultry  summer  day, 
The  people  resting  there  will  say: 
"Oh,  good  and  great  was  he, 
Who  thought  to  plant  this  blessed  tree!" 

"THE  VIGIL."     (From  the  "Youth's  Companion.) 

Through  the  long  dark,  I  watch  and  wake 

Beside  my  armor  bright, 
For  morning's  dawning  sun  shall  make 

Me  too  a  belted  knight. 


148  HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL 

The  silent  hours  drag  slow  and  long, 

The  chapel  floor  is  cold, 
My  weary  eyes  are  faint,  but  strong 

My  cost  to  win  and  hold. 

No  kin  may  help,  no  friend  draw  nigh, 

And  all  the  world's  asleep; 
For  this  one  night,  my  soul  and  I 

Alone  must  vigil  keep. 

Yet  through  yon  oriel's  tinted  wheel 

Of  stars,  a  silent  throng, 
Watch  over  me  to  wish  my  weal, — 

Knights  who  were  brave  and  strong. 

In  silver  armor  dight,  like  mine, 

Fill  the  blessed  field, 
Bright  on  my  helm  and  corslet  shine, 

And  gild  my  shawl  and  shield. 

They  nobly  strove  in  war's  alarm; 

They  died  to  keep  their  vow; 
But  first  they  watched,  to  win  their  arms, 

As  I  am  watching  now. 

May  their  noblesse,  me  too  inspire, 

Who  long  like  them  to  fight, 
When  I,  who  am  but  now  a  squire, 

Shall  rise  a  belted  knight. 

Miss  Marian  Hawes  graduated  from  the  Bowdoin  in 
1868;  afterwards  from  the  Girls'  High  School  and  is  now 
teaching  in  the  Brighton  High  School. 

Miss  Eudora  E.  W.  Pitcher  graduated  from  the  Bow- 
doin School  in  1869,  and  commenced  teaching  in  the  school 
in  1874.  She  is  still  teaching  there,  a  patient,  proficient, 
earnest  teacher. 

Miss  Lucille  E.  Hill,  1875,  commenced  teaching  in 
Wellesly  College  as  director  of  the  gymnasium  from  1882  to 
1894,  director  of  physical  training,  1894  to  the  present  time. 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL  149 

Mrs.  Lue  Stuart  Wadsworth,  1875,  is  an  enthusiastic 
worker  in  all  patriotic  causes.  She  was  elected  the  first 
president  of  Bowdoin  School  Alumnae  Association.  She 
has  always  taken  a  great  interest  in  the  Bowdoin  School 
and  it  has  been  through  her  efforts  that  a  flag  is  placed  in 
every  room  of  the  Bowdoin  district;  she  has  also  obtained 
from  different  classes  of  the  alumnae  pictures  for  the 
school  hall. 

Mrs.  Inez  Haynes-Gilmore  of  1887,  is  a  writer  for 
magazines.  Her  stories  may  be  found  in  McClure's,  the 
Smart  Set  and  the  Scrap  Book. 

Miss  Ethel  C.  Brown,  sister  of  Abbie  Farwell  Brown 
attended  the  Bowdoin  School  for  several  years.  She  is  a 
successful  illustrator  for  children's  books. 

Miss  Effie  F.  Grove,  1889,  sent  in  some  material  which 
I  placed  earlier  in  the  book.  The  following  was  as  a  tribute 
to  the  teachers  for  benefits  received;  as  she  grew  older  she 
evidently  realized  how  much  she  had  received  to  be  thank- 
ful for.  "Soon  after  I  entered  the  Bowdoin,  Mr.  Meserve 
became  Principal  and  what  a  grand  man  he  is  and  how  he 
dignifies  the  position  !  It  is  nearly  seventeen  years  since  I 
graduated,  but  the  very  mention  or  suggestion  of  dear  Old 
Bowdoin  still  inspires  me.  I  have  many  times  found  some 
little  subject  that  used  to  seem  so  tedious  to  me,  now 
beneficial." 

Florence  Smith,  colored,  is  the  principal  of  one  of  the 
large  schools  in  Washington,  D.  C.  I  do  not  know  when 
she  graduated.  Adelaide  Smith-Terry,  colored,  was  a 
public  singer  and  sang  in  the  Unitarian  church  (white)  in 
Brookline  for  many  years,  and  Harriet  L.  Smith  is  a 
graduate,  1880,  of  the  school  and  a  teacher  in  it.  The  eldest 
sister  graduated  from  the  Wells  and  has  been  a  teacher 
in  Bowdoin  primary  school  for  many  years. 


150  HISTORY   OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL 

Mrs.  Florida  Ruffin-Ridley,  colored,  was  a  graduate  of 
the  school  and  a  teacher  in  the  Phillips  school  until  she 
married. 

Miss  Clementine  Dominique,  colored,  1897,  was  vale- 
dictorian of  her  class.  She  is  teaching  physical  culture  in 
a  southern  college,  the  full  title  of  which  is  "Colored  Nor- 
mal, Industrial,  Agricultural  and  Mechanical  College  of 
South  Carolina." 

Miss  Gladys  Brown,  class  of  1902,  while  still  a  pupil 
was  much  interested  in  the  forming  of  an  Alumnae  Asso- 
ciation. She  canvassed  the  situation,  working  earnestly 
and  enthusiastically,  but  received  little,  if  any,  encourage- 
ment. After  a  while  she  ceased  her  efforts  for  a  time, 
but  soon  the  matter  was  again  taken  up,  with  the  assistance 
of  Miss  Eudora  E.  W.  Pitcher,  and  notices  published  in  the 
daily  papers  stating  a  meeting  would  be  held  for  the  form- 
ing of  an  Alumnae  Association  of  the  Bowdoin  School. 
Preliminary  meetings  were  held,  and  on  May  1,  1903,  there 
was  a  large  gathering  of  Bowdoin  graduates.  The  evening 
closed  with  a  Bowdoin  School  Alumnae  Association  firmly 
formed.  To  Miss  Gladys  Brown  the  Association  gives 
thanks  for  its  firm  establishment. 

A    TRIBUTE   TO    THE    TEACHERS 

"As  the  years  go  by  I  realize  more  and  more  what  a  pri- 
vilege it  was  to  begin  one's  education  at  the  Bowdoin 
School  with  that  master  band  of  teachers.  Tact  and  sym- 
pathy, thoroughness  and  patience,  method  and  intelligence, 
those  formed  the  atmosphere  in  which  one  could  not  help 
but  learn.  These  made  school  days  happy,  even  for  a 
child  who  dearly  loved  out-doors  and  play. 

"I  have  never  before  nor  since  known  help  such  as 
they  gave  their  unworthy  flocks.  What  they  taught  was 
properly  taught,  and   it  'stayed.'     One   could    not   forget 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL  151 

their  lessons  if  one  would.  For  later  teachers  there  was 
nothing  to  be  unlearned  or  patched  up.  The  foundation 
at  least  was  solid. 

"Dear  friends  and  wise  instructors: — their  zeal  and  de- 
votion is  something  to  remember  with  pride  and  wonder, 
the  inspiration  which  they  gave  will  never  fade. 

"Three  of  that  rare  band  are  gone:  Mr.  Hamlin,  Miss 
Young — and  dear  Miss  Fay.  How  well  do  I  remember 
her  long,  grave  face.  I  thought  it  stern  before  I  had 
caught  the  twinkle  behind  the  forbidding  glasses.  I  was 
afraid  before  I  knew  the  loyal  affection  of  her  big,  kind 
heart.  Alas  !  I  never  told  them, — so  I  would  fain  have  the 
other  dear  teachers  of  mine  in  the  Bowdoin  School,  know 
while  they  are  still  happily  filling  their  honored  places, — 
how  much  I  admire  and  reverence  and  love  them,  and  how 
grateful  I  am  for  all  they  have  done  for  me. 

"If  we  graduates  should  ever  accomplish  any  good  on 
the  foundation  of  early  precept  and  example,  I  am  sure  one 
of  its  dearest. rewards  would  to  be  to  hear  the  'Well  done' 
striven  for  in  our  childish  days  repeated  by  those  same 
kind  lips." 
— Abb ie  Farwell  Brown,  '86,  Boston,  October  14,  1906. 


CHAPTER    XXIII. 


In  April,  1903,  notice  appeared  in  the  Boston  Journal, 
stating  an  attempt  was  to  be  made  to  form  an  Alumnae 
Association  of  the  Bowdoin  School.  At  the  first  meeting 
held  in  the  school  hall,  class  committees  were  formed  and 
also  a  general  committee,  consisting  of  Mrs.  Lue  Stuart 
Wadsworth,  chairman;  Miss  Maria  Whitwell,  Miss  Harriet 
L.  S.  Smith,  Dr.  Eudora  Faxon,  vice-chairmen;  Miss  Julia 
L.  G.  Morse,  treasurer;  Miss  Eudora  E.  Pitcher,  secretary; 
Miss  Gladys  Brown,  corresponding  secretary;  Miss  Sarah 
L.  Mecuen,  auditor.  The  organization  was  formed  and  it 
was  decided  that  any  girl  who  had  attended  the  school, 
though  not  a  graduate,  could  join  the  Association.  The 
first  reunion  was  held  at  the  Vendome,  May  1,  1903,  and 
much  of  its  success  was  due  to  Miss  Gladys  Brown  and  her 
interest  in  it.  There  was  a  very  large  attendance  at  this 
reunion,  350  being  present.  The  oldest  present  were  Mrs. 
Philena  W.  Perrin,  class  1833;  Mrs.  Sarah  M.  Judkins,  '35; 
Mrs.  Caroline  M.  Plummer,  '39;  Miss  Harriet  Hawes,  '41; 
Mrs.  Marcy  S.  Vennard,  Miss  Sarah  E.  Adams,  Mrs.  Leah 
N.  Wellington,  all  of  '46;  Miss  Adelaide  S.  Bodge,  '49; 
Miss  Harriet  Caryl,  '51;  Mrs.  Ariana  C.  Sparrow,  '59. 

At  the  business  meeting  Mrs.  Lue  Stuart  Wadsworth, 
'75,  was  chosen  President;  Dr.  Eudora  Faxon,  '95,  Vice- 
President;  Miss  Eudora  E.  W.  Pitcher,  '69,  Secretary;  Miss 
Harriet  L.  Smith,  'yg,  Corresponding  Secretary;  Miss 
Julia  L.  G.  Morse,  '83,  Treasurer;  Mrs.  Philena  Winship 
Perrin,  '34,  Mrs.  Leah  Nichols  Wellington,  '46,  Miss  Ade- 
laide S.  Bodge,  '51,  were  chosen  Honorary  Vice-Presidents. 

152 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL  153 

ORDER   OF   EXERCISES. 

MAY    FIRST,   1903,    AT    THE    FIRST    REUNION. 

School  Motto:  "Bowdoin  expects  every  girl  to  do  her  duty." 

1.  Song,  written  for  and  sung  at  a  reunion  in  1873, 

Mrs.  S.  H.  Whitwell-Leeds,  '40,      By  the  Members. 

2.  Address,  "School  Traditions,"  Harriet  E.  Caryl. 

3.  Address,  "The  Old  School,"     Mrs.  L.  N.  Wellington. 

4.  Song,  Marion  Croly. 

5.  Recitation,  Clementine  Dominque. 

6.  Reminiscences,  Mrs.  Airiana  C.  Sparrow. 

7.  Song. 

8.  Address,  "Principles  of  Bowdoin,"     Alonzo  Meserve. 

9.  Song,  written  by  Mrs.  Caroline  M.  Plummer  for  the 

1873  reunion.  A  poem  written  a  few  weeks  before 
the  reunion  by  Miss  Sarah  Judkins  was  read  by  one 
of  the  Alumnae: 

You  may  come,  old  Time,  with  your  wrinkles 

And  your  hair  of  silvery  gray. 

You  may  rob  the  eye  of  its  brightness, 

And  take  all  its  luster  away; 

May  deafen  the  ear  to  the  music 

That  floats  on  the  quivering  air, 

May  take  from  the  cheek  all  the  fairness, 

That  youth  in  its  Springtime  may  wear; 

May  rifle  the  voice  of  its  sweetness 

And  silence  the  notes  of  its  song; 

May  hinder  the  foot  in  its  fleetness, 

And  palsy  the  arm  that  is  strong. 

But  I  laugh  sometimes,  when  I  think 

I've  a  treasure  you  never  have  seen; 

You  never  can  guess  where  'tis  hid 

For  the  Casket  that  holds  it  is  locked, 

Only  I  have  the  key  to  the  lid. 

You  may  talk  as  much  as  you  please, 

May  worry,  and  even  may  scold, 

But  the  Casket  is  holding  my  heart,  Sir, 

And  that  you  never  can  make  old. 


154  HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL 

In  1879,  there  was  prospects  that  the  Bowdoin  School 
would  be  given  up.  On  May  13th  of  that  year,  the  fol- 
lowing petition  was  sent  to  the  School  Board: 

"Gentlemen,  We,  the  undersigned,  citizens  of  Boston 
and  residents  in  the  Bowdoin  District  would  hereby 
respectfully  remonstrate  against  any  action  of  your  Honor- 
able Body,  by  which  the  grammar  school  in  this  district 
shall  be  abolished. 

"Because  the  Bowdoin  School  building  is  in  a  healthy 
locality  and  neighborhood  and  is  most  conveniently  located 
for  most  of  its  patrons. 

"Because  the  school  has  always  held,  and  still  does 
hold,  an  honorable  rank  among  the  best  grammar  schools 
of  the  city. 

"Because  there  has  been  no  material  falling  off  in  the 
number  of  pupils  attending  it,  for  the  last  three  years  or 
four. 

"We  object  to  sending  our  children  away  from  this 
school  to  other  large  schools,  because  we  are  convinced  that 
they  are  less  favorable  to  their  promotion  and  graduation. 

"Finally,  because  every  reason  and  consideration  that 
led  to  the  establishment  of  this  school  still  holds,  even 
stronger,  for  its  continuance." 

The  Bowdoin  has  always  been  favored  with  a  high 
grade  of  instructors,  principals  and  assistants.  A  graduate 
lately  remarked  to  me,  "If  there  ever  was  a  better  con- 
ducted school  than  the  Bowdoin,  I  cannot  believe  it."  To- 
day there  is  a  grand  corps  of  teachers,  so  let  the  alumnae 
and  the  parents  of  the  younger  alumnae  heartily  and  lovingly 
support  their  efforts.  All  who  attend  the  reunions  of  the 
alumnae  cannot  but  take  a  strong  interest  in  Bowdoin's 
graduates  and  the  interest  can  be  shown  by  placing  their 
names'  on  the  Alumnae  Association,  thus  contributing 
yearly  a  small  sum  to  its  treasury,  which  can  be  used  for 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL  155 

any  purpose  whatever  that  will  aid  the  school  in  any  way, 
so  that  the  work  of  the  coming  years  can  be  constantly  im- 
proving upon  that  of  the  past.  If  any  graduate  meets  with 
success  in  her  life  work  let  it  be  known  to  the  Alumnae 
Association,  giving  credit,  as  many  have  done,  to  the  help 
they  received  at  the  Bowdoin  School.  The  old  graduates 
would  be  benefitted  by  attending  the  reunions,  feeling  re- 
juvenated by  their  contact  with  younger,  therefore  fresher 
minds.  Every  member  of  any  Alumnae  Association  should 
have  a  feeling  of  sympathy  and  interest  in  the  welfare  of 
every  other  alumnae,  and,  "if  they  chance  to  meet  in  the 
ever-varying  scenes  of  life,"  should  make  evident  these 
feelings  towards  each  other;  show  they  acknowledge  the 
sisterly  bond  which  unites  them.  All  who  have  been  mem- 
bers of  the  school  and  are  members  of  the  Alumnae  Asso- 
ciation, ought  to  feel  proud  of  both  memberships  and  to 
know  that  dear  old  Bowdoin  stands  the  highest  for  deeds, 
as  well  as  for  attitude. 

It  seems  fitting  that  the  writer  should  close  this 
history  with  an  account  of  the  graduation  in  which  she  had 
part. 

BOWDOIN  SCHOOL  EXHIBITION. 

MONDAY,  JUNE    2$,   I906. 

"Bowdoin  Expects  Every  Girl  to  do  Her  Duty." 

SCHOOL    COMMITTEE 

James  L.  Storrow,  Chairman. 
Mr.  George  E.  Brock,  Mr.  Thomas  J.  Kenney, 

Mr.  David  A.  Ellis,  Mr.  William  S.  Kenney. 

ORRDER    OF    EXERCISES. 

March,  "The  Soldiers'  Chorus,"  Faust,  Gertrude  Altshuler 


156  HISTORY   OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL 

Music,  "Merry  June,"  Vincent,  Class,  accompanied 

by  Iris  Olga  T.  R.  Francis. 
Address  of  Welcome,  A.  Louise  Mahoney. 

Recitation,  "The  Purest  Pearl,"  Esther  Michael. 

Music,  "Hope  Thou  in  God,"  Handel,       Semi  Chorus  and 

Class,  accompanied  by  Ida  Lieman. 
Recitation,  "The  Chambered  Nautilus,"  O.  W.  Holmes, 

Dora  Gottlieb. 
Music,  "Joys  of  Spring,"  Geibel,  Class,  accompanied 

by  Ida  Lieman 
Recitation,  "Memories  of  the  Old  Kitchen," 

Ivy  Vera  Anderson. 
Presentation  of  Class  Gift,  Hilda  B.  Boyle 

Music,  "Light  and  Gay,"  Flotow,  Class. 

Recitation,  "My  Garden,"  R.  W.  Emerson, 

Sophia  J.  Larger. 
Music,  "A  Morning,"  Wetherby,  Lillian  M.  Cains, 

accompanied  by  Jane  W.  Murray. 
Recitation,  "All  for  Each,"  J.  W.  Chadwick,    Rose  Russell. 
Valedictory,  Margaret  E.  Morse. 

Class  Song,  Iris  Olga  T.  R.  Francis  (colored). 

Tune — "Auld  Lang  Syne." 

The  time  has  come  when  we  must  say 

Good-bye  to  all  so  true, 
And  in  life's  field  of  action  go, 

For  we  have  work  to  do. 
With  our  life's  purpose  e'er  in  view, 

May  we  with  cheerful  heart, 
And  with  patient,  willing  hand 

Do  well  our  little  part. 

Let  us  go  onward,  that  by  us 

Something  of  good  be  wrought, 
And  teach  the  true  and  beautiful. 

That  we  have  here  been  taught. 
Let  us  in  all  our  future  years 

Forever  faithful  be. 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BOVVDOIN    SCHOOL  157 

And  aid  each  great  and  noble  cause, 
That  we  in  life  may  see. 

May  we  each  moment  well  employ; 

The  rich  seeds  daily  sow 
Of  truth,  of  joy,  and  happiness, 

As  on  through  life  we  go. 
When  we  the  victory  have  won, 

When  all  life's  tasks  are  o'er, 
We'll  meet  with  those  we  hold  so  true, 

To  say  good-bye  no  more. 

Giving  out  the  Diplomas,  by  Mrs.  Leah  Nichols-Wellington 
Addresses,  Mrs.  Lue  Stuart-Wadsworth,  Mr. 

Alonzo  Meserve. 
Music,  "America." 

PIANISTS. 

Iris  Olga  T.  R.  Francis,  Ida  Lieman,  Jane  W.  Murray. 

Mrs.  Lue  Stuart  Wadsworth,  President  of  the  Bowdoin 
School  Alumnae  Association,  presented  the  school  a  pic- 
ture given  by  some  of  the  alumnae.  The  presentation  of 
the  "Class  Gift"  was  by  Hilda  B.  Boyle,  a  copy  of  one  of 
Corot's  paintings.  Mrs.  Wellington,  before  she  gave  out 
the  diplomas,  stated  to  the  audience,  that  she  was  pleased, 
not  only  to  attend  the  graduation  exercises,  but  to  take  a 
part  in  the  performances,  as  just  sixty  years  ago  the  twelfth 
of  next  month  she  graduated  from  the  old  Bowdoin  School, 
then  on  Derne  street,  and  was  given  a  silver  medal. 

Miss  Sophia  Horr,  a  native  of  Wellesley,  taught  in  the 
Bowdoin  School,  resigned  and  obtained  a  position  in  the 
Wellesley  College;  Miss  Lucile  Hill,  Director  of  Physical 
Training;  Miss  Harriet  Hawes,  Librarian  of  the  College, 
is  still  there  as  Librarian  Emeritus;  Mrs.  L.  N.  Wellington 
had  full  charge  of  the  Art  Department.  We  were  interested 
as  working  there,  at  the  same  time,  all  having  been  much 
interested  in  dear  old  Bowdoin. 


158  HISTORY    OF   THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL 


TO  OUR  ALMA  MATER,  THE  PARTING  WORD. 

When  we  meet,  all  ages  blending, 

(Tresses  are  gold,  brown  or  gray), 
Are  not  we,  all  backward  sending, 

Thoughts  to  that  eventful  day, 
When  we  entered  Bowdoin's  portals, 

Fearing  what  might  lie  within  ? 
Such  shy,  trembling,  little  mortals  ! 

But  soon  love,  our  love  did  win. 

Then  weeks,  months  and  years  glided  by, 

With  work  and  recreation, 
Each  helping  each,  to  climb  up  high 

The  Mount  of  Education. 
Our  learned  guides  did  well  their  part; 

Patiently,  with  kindly  care, 
And  e'er  we  knew,  won  was  each  heart, 

Making  school-days  ever  fair. 

Now,  children  from  every  land, 

From  North,  South,  every  race, 
Are  joined  to  Bowdoin's  happy  band; 

Each  can  find  her  special  place. 
Give  these  children  heartfelt  welcome: 

Taught  this  land  to  love;  each  day 
Led  through  pleasant  paths  of  wisdom, 

They'l  approach  life's  perfect  way. 

For  all  that's  best,  does  Bowdoin  stand; 

All  that  is  just,  pure  and  right. 
Teachers  working  with  motives  grand, 

Uplift  all  with  gentle  might. 
Are  we  not  now  forward  gazing, 

Watching  Bowdoin's  future  strife? 
Her  standard  higher  she's  raising, 

Searching  for  the  noblest  life. 

Alma  Mater,  to  thee  we're  true, 

Stand  we  an  united  band, 
Whene'er  thy  needs  appear  to  view, 

We'll  lend  thee  helping  hand. 


HISTORY   OF    THE    BOWDOIN    SCHOOL  159 

We  owe  thee  great  obligation, 

Then  ever,  while  life  shall  last, 
We'll  cheer,  aid  and  bless  thee,  Bowdoin, 

Sure  thou  wilt  perform  thy  task. 

And  while  the  decades  pass  away, 

Still,  wide  open  be  thy  doors; 
Still,  may  the  children,  day  by  day, 

Freely  take  from  thy  rich  stores. 
Strong  mayst  thou  stand  on  Beacon  Hili, 

Guarding  all  who  need  thy  aid; 
Handmaiden  of  our  Father's  will; 

His  word  shall  ne'er  be  delayed. 

Alma  Mater,  long  life  to  thee! 

May  thy  children  live  aright; 
From  sin  and  crime  always  be  free, 

Guided  by  thy  Beacon  light. 
May  children's  children  look  to  thee, 

Giving  praise  for  all  thy  care; 
May  children  of  these  children  see, 

Loving  help,  flow  free  as  air. 


GIFTS   TO   THE    SCHOOL. 


The  different  classes  have  given  the  following:  Bust 
of  Abraham  Lincoln,  Bust  of  Charles  Sumner,  German 
"Madonna,"  Picture,  ''Leaving  Home,"  Picture  of  the  Con- 
stitution, Picture  by  Corot  (copy),  Set  of  Stereopticon 
Views,  Capitol  at  Washington. 

The  Alumnae  Association  gave  the  following:  A  silk 
flag  for  every  room,  twenty-seven  in  number;  also  $3  to  each 
grammar  and  primary  teacher  to  purchase  some  article  for 
school  use  in  her  room. 

Mrs.  Wadsworth,  assisted  by  members  of  the  Alumnae: 
Large  silk  flag  for  the  hall,  Pictures  of  Abraham  Lincoln, 
William  McKinley  and  Henry  W.  Longfellow. 

Mrs.  Wadsworth  made  personal  gifts  of  a  framed  copy 
of  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  oleograph  of  Stars  and 
Stripes,  and  a  set  of  Flags  of  all  Nations  for  Miss  Pitch- 
er's room. 

Mrs.  Wellington  gave  a  bust  of  Ophelia,  also  framed 
autograph  of  Sandham's  Oil  Painting  of  the  Battle  of 
Lexington. 

The  picture  of  Mr.  Andrews  was  given  by  his  five 
grand-children. 

The  picture  of  Mr.  Robinson  by  the  widow  of  his  son 
and  his  grand  niece. 

Picture  of  Mr.  Brown,  by  his  widow. 

Picture  of  Mr.  Hamlin,  by  his  widow. 

Robert  A.  Bell  Relief  Corps,  No.  6j,  of  the  depart- 
ment of  Massachusetts,  Woman's  Relief  Corps,  gave  a 
large  bunting  flag  for  the  staff,  which  was  the  highest  pole 
and  largest  flag  on  any  school-house  in  Boston  at  the  time; 
also  a  picture  of  Frederic  A.  Douglas. 

161 


LIST   OF    TEACHERS. 


*  after  name,  deceased,     m  after  name,  married,     u  after  name,  unknown 

Warren  W.  Pierce,  Grammar  Master,  1821  to  1822.* 
Samuel  Adams,  Grammar  Usher,  1821  to  1830.* 
John  Belcher,  Writing  Master,  1821  to  1825.* 
Barnabas  Whitney,  Writing  Usher,  1821  to  1830.* 
Abraham  Andrews,  Grammar  Master,  1822  to  1855.* 
James  Robinson,  Writing  Master,  1825  to  1853.* 
Mary  A.  Murdock,  1829  to  1864.* 
Chastine  Lincoln,  1829  to  1844.*   m  Andrew  Cushing. 
Frances  Robinson,  1830  to  1843.*  m  Frederick  Emer- 
son, the  arithmetician;  2d,  Mr.  Pike. 
Elizabeth  Lincoln,  1830  to  1843.*   m  S.  W.  Bowdlear. 
Elizabeth  H.  Drew,  1830  to  1835.  u 
Affa  Grey,  1823  to  1829.  u 
Sarah  B.  Jepson,  1829  to  1842.  u 
Katherine  Whitney,  1829  to  1836.  u 
Mary  S.  Robinson,  1836  to  1862.* 
Harriet  French,  1841  to  1844.*  m  Mr.  Howland. 
Caroline  E.  Andrews,  1842  to  1849.*  m  A.  O.Lindsay. 
Rebecca  Lincoln,  1842  to  1865.* 
Sarah  D.  Adams,  1842  to  1847.*  m 
Mary  E.  Nash,  1843  to  1845.  m 

Elizabeth  B.  Mitchell,  1846  to  1862.  m  Mr.Littlefield. 
Elizabeth  P.  Snow,  1846  to  1852.  u 
Sarah  M.  Mitchell,  1848  to  1850.  m  Benj.  Judkins. 
Hannah  S.  Andrews,  1849  to  1856.* 
Marcy  A.  Smith,  1851  to  1863*  m  Henry  Vennard. 
Emmeline  French,  1851  to  1853.* 
Laura  Clarke,  1852  to  1854.  u 
162 


LIST    OF    TEACHERS  163 

Martha  Plumer,  1852  to  1878. 

Elizabeth  S.  Kidder,  1852  to  1853.  u 

Sarah  B.  Andrews,  1852  to  1862.*  in  Jonathan  Swift. 

Mary  A.  Proctor,  1854  to  1861.  u 

Daniel  C.  Brown,  1855  t0  1884* 

Irene  W.  Wentworth,  1857  to  1898* 

Sophia  B.  Horr,  1862  to  1875.* 

Eliza  A.  Fay,  1862  to  1898.* 

Lucie  C.  Gould,  1862  to  1872.*  m  Dr.  Page. 

Martha  E.  Young,  1863  to  1864.  m  Mr.  Jones. 

Annie  E.  Kimball,  1863  to  1868.  m  James  B.  Brown. 

Harriet  M    Choate,  1864  to  1865.  m  Mr.  Goodhue. 

Deborah  Norton,  1864  to  1868.* 

Emily  G.  Wetherbee,  1864  to  1869.* 

Mary  A.  Young,  1865  to  1885.* 

Sarah  J.  Mills,  1865  to  1879.  m  Judge  Luce. 

Mary  S.  Grant,  1867  to  1874.  u 

S.  Frances  Perry,  1868.     Still  teaching. 

Sarah  O.  Brickett,  1868  to  1889. 

Ada  L.  Cushman,  1870  to  1881.  u 

E.  E.  W.  Pitcher,  1874.     Still  teaching. 

Ella  L.  Macomber,  1876.     Still  teaching. 

Sophia  B.  Horr, to  1876. 

Mary  S.  Hosmer,  1878  to  1883*  m  J.  R.  Brown. 
Sarah  R.  Smith,  1879.     Still  teaching. 
Mary  E.  Pitcher,  1879  to  1890.* 
Annie  E.  Gott,  1880.  u 

Dewlin  A.  Hamlin,  Principal,  1885  to  1886.* 
Alonzo  Merserve,  Principal,  1886.     Still  teaching. 
Harriet  L.  Smith  (colored),  1889,     Still  teaching. 
Katherine  W.  Dolan,  1897.     Still  teaching. 
Annette  F.  Ames,  1898.     Still  teaching. 
Florence  VV.  Halligan,  1900.     Still  teaching. 
Mary  E.  French,  1899.     Still  teaching. 


164  LIST    OF    TEACHERS 

Elizabeth  J.  Baxter,  Sewing,  1854  to  1872.  u 

Bigelow,  Sewing,  1872  to  1877.* 

Edith  L.  Thomas,  Sewing.  1897.     Still  teaching. 

Edith  Coverly,  Drawing,  1900.     Still  teaching. 

Julia  Hughes,  Cooking,  1905.     Still  teaching. 

Lowell  Mason,  Music* 

Benj.  F.  Baker,  Music,* 

A.  N.  Johnson,  Music* 

J.  C.  Johnson,  u 

Charles  C.  Butler,  1855.  u 

Hosea  E.  Holt,  1867.* 

Joseph  B.  Sharland,  1869. 

John  O.  Shea,  two  years. 

Grant  Drake. 

Laura  F.  Taylor. 

Mary  S.  McNulty. 

Blanche  Tebbets. 


LIST   OF   BOYS 

WHO    ENTERED     THE    DERNE-STREET    SCHOOL    THE    YEAR     IT 
WAS    ESTABLISHED. 

Showing  the  names  of  families  who  were  then  residents  of  Beacon  Mill. 


Joseph  Osgood, 
Thomas  Dana, 
Thomas  C.  Osgood, 
Charles  T.  Otis, 
James  T.  Robinson, 
Charles  Roulstone, 
Henry  H.  Winship, 
Samuel  E.  Ware, 
George  E.  Wales, 
Daniel  C.  Bryden, 
Henry  S.  Belcher, 
Cyril  Chafee, 
Ichabod  Howland, 
Caleb  Mead, 
Samuel  T.  Easterbrook, 
Solomon  Levfert, 
Warren  Beals, 


Jackson, 

Joseph  Lincoln, 
John  Motley, 
Stephen  C.  Perrin, 
Edward  Roulstone, 
Charles  Sargent, 
Thomas  Bumstead, 
Charles  G.  Hichborn, 
Thomas  Gould, 
Augustus  Converse, 
Adam  S.  Bowman, 
John  Hatch, 
William  M.  Evarts, 
S.  C.  Knights, 
John  Babbit, 
Edward  T.  Briggs. 


165 


LIST   OF   FRANKLIN   MEDALS. 


1821. 

Henry  E.  Simonds, 
Jared  Lincoln, 
Andrew  Leach, 
James  Riley, 
John  W.  Ridgeway, 
Joseph  Simonds. 

1822. 

Names  not  known. 

1823. 

Stephen  H.  Thayer, 
Francis  H.  Jenks, 
William  Wiley, 
Joseph  B.  Lyon, 
John  S.  Dwight, 
Isaac  Schofield,  Jr. 

1824. 

Charles  H.  Cutter, 
Andrew  W.  Benson, 
Joseph  Gray, 
Thomas  H.  Haskell, 
John  S.  Perkins, 
Patrick  Riley. 

1825. 

George  'W.  Blanchard, 
Frederick  A.  Benson, 


Joseph  H.  Belcher, 
Alpheus  W.  Wood, 
Henry  H.  Welch, 
Henry  Lincoln. 

1826. 

John  W.  Skelton, 
Ichabod  Howland, 
John  K.  Greenwood, 
George  H.  Whitney, 
John  J.  Homer, 
Charles  Hartshorn, 

1827. 
Frederick  L.  Homer, 
Henry  W.  Lane, 
William  W.  Davenport, 
Harrison  C.  Bryant, 
Samuel  D.  Ford, 
James  H.  Bryden. 

1828. 
William  M.  Evarts, 
John  M.  Gould, 
Edmund  H.  Aiken, 
Stephen  P.  Greenwood, 
Joseph  H.  Vose, 
Unknown. 

1829. 

Samuel  C.  Gray, 
Henry  Tucker, 
166 


LIST    OF    FRANKLIN    MEDALS 


167 


John  Q.  A.  Litchfield, 
Henry  Dana, 
Henry  E.  Lincoln, 
Thomas  F.  Hyde. 

1830. 
James  P.  Boyd, 


George  L.  Farwell, 
David  B.  Fletcher, 
Theodore  Harrington, 
George  Leighton, 
Samuel  C.  Ware. 


NOT    MEDAL    SCHOLARS. 


Ezra  Briggs, 
Seth  A.  Copeland, 
Daniel  Cooley, 
Charles  H.  Roulstone, 
Frederick  E.  Stimson, 
John  A.  Bird, 
Albert  Glover, 
Johnathan  Livermore, 
Maturin  Ballou, 
Theophilous  Burr, 
Benjamin  Johnson, 
George  W.  Partridge, 
Edward  Riddle, 


Gideon  Cassell, 
John  Cass, 
Seth  Fuller, 
Lovett  Stimson, 
Abel  S.  Baldwin, 
James  Boyd, 
William  F.  Harraden, 
Emory  Souther, 
John  H.  Bagin, 
Ezra  Lincoln, 
Samuel  D.  Norcross, 
James  Riddle, 
Charles  Hawkins. 


168 


LIST   OF   CITY    MEDALS. 


1821. 

Eveline  Carroll, 
Antriss  Damon, 
Hannah  R.  Homer, 
Mary  R.  Homer, 
Elizabeth  Leighton, 
Lydia  Redfern. 

1822. 
Names  unknown. 

1823. 

Pamela  Ames, 
Margaret  Ann  Capen, 
Caroline  Folium, 
Affa  M.  Gray, 
Mary  T.  Perkins, 
Adeline  Quincy. 

1824. 

Names  unknown. 

1825. 

Lucy  C.  Allen, 
Sarah  Blaney, 
Caroline  M.  Dyer, 
Elizabeth   L.  Edwards, 
Emily  N.  Gray, 
Mary  S.  Stoddard. 


1826. 

Henrietta  Adams, 
Nancy  Bryant, 
Elizabeth  F.  Coolidge, 
Rebecca  Souther, 
Elizabeth  E.  Vose, 
Henrietta  F.  Wallis. 

1827. 
Frances  F.  Allen, 
Mary  A.  Dwight, 
Mary  A.  Lewis, 
Betsey  Simonds, 
Mary  A.  Whitney, 
Jane  F.  Wiggin. 

1828. 

Eunice  H.  Howe, 
Chastine  Lincoln, 
Eliza  Robinson, 
Caroline  M.  Tracy, 
Cynthia  A.  Williams, 
Miranda  Williams. 

1829. 
Orient  T.  Humphrey, 
Elizabeth  B.  Lincoln, 
Elizabeth  L.  Manning, 
Mary  A.  Murdock, 
Lucy  T.  Pierce, 
Ann  R.  Reed. 
169 


170 


LIST    OF    CITY    MEDALS 


1830. 

Frances  E.  Bancroft, 
Frances  H.  Barnard, 
Sarah  E.  Benson, 
Harriet  K.  Bayley, 
Elizabeth  Chamberlain, 
Sarah  E.  Griggs. 

1831. 

Harriet  L.  Gibbens, 
Margaret  V.  Hathaway, 
Harriet  Hastings, 
Louisa  Lewis, 
Rebecca  M.  Manning, 
Joseph  VV.  Shipley. 

1832. 

Elizabeth  C.  Belcher, 
Mary  J.  Gunn, 
Rebecca  Lincoln, 
Caroline  A.  Reed, 
Mary  E.  Swift, 
Ann  Wakefield. 

1833. 
Elizabeth  B.  Beals, 
Caroline  W.  Carter, 
Sarah  B.  Jepson, 
Eliza  C.  Hayden, 
Charlotte  A.  Fillebrown, 
Lydia  S.  Fisher. 

1834. 

Caroline  W.  Otis, 
Harriet  D.  Williams, 


Francis  A.  M.  Babcock, 
Maria  P.  Thayer, 
Mary  E.  Loud, 
Mary  A.  F.  Smith. 

1835. 
Nancy  W.  Manning, 
Desire  C.  Bowker, 
Caroline  E.  Andrews, 
Elizabeth  F.  Hadley, 
Sarah  M.  Mitchell, 
Josephine  M.  Gibbs. 

1836. 

Martha  E.  Clarke, 
Ellen  M.  Coolidge, 
Caroline  A.  Humphrey, 
Rebecca  M.  March, 
Mary  L.  White, 
Martha  E.  Whitney. 

1837. 
Charlotte  A.  Belcher, 
Harriet  Blaney, 
Mary  T.  Bradford, 
Ellen  Hartshorn, 
Harriet  Perrin, 
Abigail  D.  Pike. 

1838. 
Mary  F.  Horton, 
Helen  Leavitt, 
Elizabeth  Mclntire, 
Matilda  Bussell, 
Martha  West, 
Caroline  B.  Williams. 


LIST    OF    CITY    MEDALS 


171 


1839. 

Sarah  C.  Blaney, 
Sarah  H.  Emerson, 
Harriet  French, 
Hannah  H.  Stadley, 
Elizabeth  Hevvins, 
Margaret  E.  Simmons. 

1840. 
Ann  T.  Bagin, 
Amanda  M.  Fuller, 
Catherine  Lincoln, 
Lucia  Proctor, 
Charlotte  E.  Wheelwright, 
Susan  H.  Whitwell. 

1 841. 

Emmeline  French, 
Frances  T.  Holland, 
Cecilia  A.  Lancey, 
Mary  E.  Nash, 
Mary  D.  Nichols, 
Olive  E.  Reynolds. 

1842. 
Mary  G.  Crombie, 
Adeline  C.  Dinsmore, 
Harriet  Hawes, 
Martha  J.  Loring, 
Louisa  S.  Mason, 
Martha  W.  Reed. 

1843. 
Harriet  L.  Brown, 
Harriet  L.  Coolidge, 


Ann  P.  Hall, 
Mary  E.  Henry, 
Lucy  D.  Norton, 
Elizab  P.  Snow. 

1844. 
Susan  H.  Homer, 
Harriet  A.  Hubbard, 
Elizabeth  B.  Mitchell, 
Sarah  A.  Rand, 
Eveline  A.  Ross, 
Mary  R.  Sewall, 
Sarah  E.  Barnard. 

1845. 

Catherine  E.  Frost, 
Abagail  Hawes, 
Ann  E.  P.  Henchman, 
Nancy  S.  Knowlton, 
Helen  M.  Robinson, 
Elizabeth  G.  Underhill. 

1846. 
Sarah  E.  Adams, 
Caroline  M.  Francis, 
Mary  E.  Joslin, 
Leah  L.  Nichols, 
Marcy  A.  Smith, 
Elizabeth  D.  Stimpson. 

1847. 
No  medals. 

1848. 

Abby  Q.  Bancroft, 
Mary  Carroll, 


172 


LIST    OF    CITY    MEDALS 


Susan  E.  Daniels, 
Harriet  N.  Gooclnovv, 
Harriet  D.  Gould, 
Caroline  M.  Henderson, 
Mary  L.  Mitchell, 
Priscilla  C.  Simpson. 

1849. 

Georgiana  L.  Bagin, 
Adeline  S.  Bodge, 
Catherine  E.  Fullam, 
Cornelia  Hobart, 
Ellen  A.  Kuhn, 
Jenetha  B.  Peabody. 

1850. 

Henrietta  W.  Briggs, 
Mary  M.  Clapp, 
Louisa  B.  Eaton, 
Margaret  D.  P2aton, 
Nancy  M.  Guilford, 
Harriet  E.  Howard, 
Helen  J.  Salter, 
Susan  M.  Tuning. 

1851. 

Josephine  M.  Allen, 
Francis  M.  Bodge, 
Harriet  E.  Caryl, 
Lucy  M.  Chamberlain, 
Eliza  J.  Staton, 
Annie  B.  Stevenson, 
Phebe  M.  Stowe, 
Mary  O.  Trull. 


1852. 

Elizabeth  W.  Ayer, 
Sarach  C.  Goodrich, 
Cecilia  A.  Hall, 
Amanda  M.  Hancock, 
Maria  L.  C.  Holbrook, 
Emma  C.  M.  Howe, 
Elizabeth  H.  Judkins, 
Susan  H.  Kingman, 
Mary  VV.  Salter, 
Lucie  A.  P.  Temple. 

1853. 
Carlotta  F.  Capen, 
Sarah  J.  Coverly, 
Mary  S.  Danforth, 
Mary  C.  Emery, 
Mary  L.  Glover, 
Agnes  E.  Hooton, 
Elizabeth  D.  Kidder, 
Helen  L.  Mellen, 
Sarah  C.  Sanderson, 
Gertrude  Taylor. 

1854- 
Helen  M.  Adams, 
Catherine  Blake, 
Sarah  S.  Craft, 
Sarah  A.  Griffin, 
Emily  M.  Holloway, 
Elizabeth  B.  Holmes, 
Caroline  S.  Lamb, 
Julia  C.  Morse, 
Mary  E.  Scates, 


LIST    OF    CITY    MEDALS 


173 


Catherine  Tuttle, 
Lillie  C.  Whitney. 

1855. 
Mary  A.  Bean, 
Letitia  B.  Blakemore, 
Emma  W.  Brewster, 
Mary  C.  Carter, 
May  A.  Hodgedon, 
Blanche  Leavitt, 
Sarah  J.  Leek, 
Susan  C.  Stimpson, 
Mary  E.  Stratton, 
Emma  A.  Temple. 

1856. 

Jane  R.  Blanchard, 
Eunice  Chandler, 
Mary  B.  Cobb, 
Marietta  D.  Colburn, 
Mary  R.  Farnsworth, 
Mary  E.  Fiske, 
Sarah  B.  Hill, 
Ann  E.  Kimball, 
Caroline  A.  Moriarty, 
Lucy  E.  Pike, 
Sarah  G.  Prescott. 

1857. 

Rosalie  T.  Abbott, 
Mary  J.  Candler, 
Mary  F.  Fairbanks, 
Susan  Frizzel, 
Amanda  A.  Fuller, 
Emma  T.  Haley, 


Ella  J.  Hill, 
Maria  A.  Mellen, 
Sarah  E.  Robinson, 
Lydia  J.  Bolles. 

1858. 
Ellen  F.  Baker, 
Kate  F.  Brewster, 
Annie  C.  Crew, 
Caroline  F.  Davis, 
Ellen  F.  Fuller, 
Abbie  E.  Hammond, 
Abelia  B.  Hopkins, 
Helen  E.  Turrell, 
E.  Kate  Webb, 
S.  Ella  Williams, 
Caroline  F.  Woodbury. 

1859. 
Emmeline  J.  Bean, 
Lavinia  Bryant, 
Sarah  F.  Chapman, 
Elizabeth  M.  Clark, 
Sarah  E.  Coburn, 
Sarah  A.  Edwards, 
Nellie  L.  Fairbanks, 
Hanna  E.  Foster, 
Elizabeth  A.  Gorman, 
Adelaide  L.  Jepson, 
Eunice  A.  Mason, 
Abby  C.  Orcutt, 
Mary  E.  Sanborn. 

i860. 
Josephine  B.  Beverly, 
Lucy  J.  Calef, 


174 


LIST    OF    CITY    MEDALS 


Any  S.  Capen, 
Josephine  J.  Clapp, 
Lucy  H.  Eaton, 
Mary  J.  Grant, 
Mary  E   Hermon, 
Mary  E.  D.  Jones, 
Mary  L.  Lockley, 
Emily  C.  Litchfield, 
Ellen  J.  Loring, 
Sarah  C.  H.  Rogers, 
Eusebia  S.  Williams, 
Isabella  A.  Woodbury. 

1861. 

Emma  J.  Perkins, 
Alice  Farnsworth, 
Francis  L.  D.  Greene, 
Isabella  F.  Hill, 
Martha  B.  Jameson, 
Rebecca  R.  Joslin, 
Lucy  A.  Kimball, 
Elizabeth  E.  Monroe, 
Adelaide  M.  L.  Pratt, 
Helen  A.  Pratt, 
Emma  A.  Rice, 
Emily  E.  Robbins, 
Isadore  F.  Whitman, 
Ann  F.  Wyman, 
Josephine  C.  Flannagan. 

1862. 

Grace  Allen, 
Ellen  M.  Hawley, 
Mary  A.  Litchfield, 


Cynthia  T.  Peterson, 
Caroline  F.  Robbins, 
Emmeline  F.  Sanborn, 
Anna  E.  Speare, 
Ella  G.  Whitman, 
Pauline  F.  Huckins. 

1863. 

Mary  S.  Stockbridge, 
Anna  M.  Turner, 
Emily  P.  Dillenbach, 
Fanny  A.  Porter, 
Ellen  Stone, 
Frances  G.  Prescott, 
Louise  E.  Boyden, 
Mary  R.  Bagley, 
Louise  M.  Hill. 

1864. 

Georgiana  O.  Badger, 
Esther  E.  Ball, 
Celeste  W.  Chase, 
Selinia  M.  Gibson, 
Amelia  S.  Gould, 
Alice  M.  Harris, 
Clara  A.  Robbins, 
Sarah  E.  Rollins, 
Annie  W.  Stockbridge. 

1865. 

Emma  G.  Ford, 
Amanda  Marble, 
Leonora  R.  Chamberlain, 
Edith  Stearns, 
Harriet  M.  Sanborn, 


LIST    OF    CITY    MEDALS 


175 


Mary  F.  Milliken, 
Henrietta  B.  Robbins, 
Kate  Coyle, 
Emma  J.  Gale, 
Grace  Williams, 
Fanny  Hussey, 
Anna  B.  Whitney. 

1866, 

Anna  E.  Proctor, 
Helen  Samson, 
Etta  M.  Chipman, 


Sarah  S.  Mann, 
Eliza  Freenan, 
Mary  A.  E.  Williams, 
Annie  E.  Macdonald, 
Emily  F.  Corbet, 
Alzine  A.  Chevaillier, 
Sarah  P.  Maxwell, 
Lillian  F.  Dunbar, 
Edna  M.  Mecuen, 
Flora  A.  Huzzey, 
Lucy  A.  Brown, 
Emma  J.  Livermore. 


No  medals  given  after  1866  to  girls. 


PARTIAL    LIST   OF    GRADUATES. 


The  record  books  for  the  years  182 1  to  1871  are  miss- 
ing. The  following  contains  the  names  of  those  graduates 
whom  I  can  find: 


1825. 
Mrs.  Lucy  A.  Norcross. 

1834. 

Mrs.  Philena  S.  Perrin.* 

1840. 

Mrs.  Susan  VV.  Leeds, 
Mrs.  Thomas  Mack, 
Mrs.  Leopold  Morse. 

1842. 

Mrs.  Chastine  L.  Gushing, 
Miss  Harriet  Haws. 

1845. 
Mrs.  Abigail  H.  Hill, 
Mrs.  Mary  M.  Walter.* 

1846. 

Miss  Sarah  E.  Adams,* 
Miss  Sarah  Brewster, 
Mrs.  Elizabeth  S.  Hubbard, 
*Mrs.  Caroline  F.  Loring, 
Mrs.  L.  B.  Sewell, 
Miss  Harriet  M.  Snow, 
Mrs. Studley, 


Mrs.  Mary  J.  Thorn,* 

Mrs.  Marcy  Smith  Vennard,* 

Mrs.  John  Wales, 

Mrs.  Leah  N.  Wellington. 

1847. 
Mrs.  A.  B.  Cochrane. 
1849. 

Mrs.  Abbie  B.  Towmbly, 
Miss  Adeline  S.  Bodge. 

1850. 

Miss  Mary  E.  Bacon, 
Miss  Clara  L.  Stone. 

1851. 

Miss  Frances  M.  Bodge, 
Miss  Harriet  E.  Caryl, 
Miss  Mary  Lovell. 

1852. 

Mrs.  M.  A.  Newell, 
Mrs.  Sarah  V.  Stacy. 

1853- 
Miss  Charlotte  F.  Capcn, 
Miss  Ernmeline  E.  Fish, 
176 


PARTIAL   LIST   OF   GRADUATES 


177 


Miss  Sarah  Skinner, 
Mrs.  Mary  G.  Small, 
Mrs.  Bates  Whitney, 
Mrs.  Sarah  C.  Wing. 

1854. 
Mrs.  Ella  H.  Allison, 
Mrs.  Sarah  P.  Currier, 
Mrs.  Hannah  P.  Symonds. 

1855. 
Mrs.  Blanche  L.  Brooks, 
Mrs.  Margaret  M.  Spade. 

1856. 
Mrs.  Miranda  V.  Eaton. 

1857. 
Mrs.  Agnes  E.  Beaman, 
Mrs.  J.  Howard  Vinal. 

1858. 

Mrs.  J.  B.  Andrews, 
Mrs.  Amelia  B.  Barber, 
Mrs.  Lotta  B.  Beary, 
Mrs.  Jennie  B.  Buck, 
Mrs.  Whitney  Myrick, 
Mrs.  William  B.  Stevens, 
Miss  Louise  C.  Tower. 

1859. 

Mrs.  Josephine  G.  Dolliver, 
Mrs.  Sara  C.  Linfield, 
Mrs.  Eunice  M.  Eastman, 
Mrs.  Adelaide  J.  Mackintosh, 
Miss  Arianna  C.  Sparrow. 


i860. 

Mrs.  Maretta  G.  Andrews, 
Mrs.  Emily  S.  Peterson. 

1861. 

Miss  Addie  Cloutman, 
Miss  Emma  Cloutman, 
Mrs.  Ella  W.  Damon, 
Mrs.  Emma  R.  Johnson. 

1862. 

Mrs.  Emma  L.  Aldrich, 
Miss  Anetta  F.  Armes, 
Miss  Helen  L.  Bodge, 
Miss  Helen  M.  Hawley, 
Miss  Sarah  L.  Mecuen, 
Miss  Caroline  M.  Payson, 
Mrs.  Augusta  A.  Pettingill. 

1863. 
Mrs.  Hattie  K.  Whelock. 
1864. 

Mrs.  Sarah  W.  Ferguson, 
Mrs.  Linda  W.  Reed. 

1865. 

Mrs.  Isabella  L.  Codding, 
Miss  Ella  Fairbanks, 
Mrs.  Amanda  M.  Kelley. 

1866. 

Miss  Emma  J.  Blake, 
Mrs.  Isabel  S.  Dunbar, 
Mrs.  Mary  S.  Fuller, 


178 


PARTIAL    LIST    OF    GRADUATES 


Mrs.  Marietta  S.  Hilton, 
Miss  Grace  Lewis, 
Mrs.  Eliza  F.  Longley, 
Mrs.  Helen  G.  McDonald, 
Mrs.  Adelaide  F.  Maclsaac, 
Mrs.  Sarah  M.  Mason, 
Mrs.  Edna  Mecuen, 
Mrs.  Prince  W.  Page, 
Miss  Sarah  Robert, 
Mrs.  Sarah  H.  Snell, 
Miss  Elizabeth  Souther, 
Mrs.  Ellen  S.  Wellington, 
Mrs.  Olivia  M.  Whittier. 

1867. 

Mrs.  Ella  F.  Davenport, 
Miss  Fannie  G.  Gridley, 
Mrs.  Josie  K.  Hammond, 
Mrs.  Harriet  D.  Mackintosh, 
Miss  Ella  E.  Morrill, 
Mrs.  Louise  G.  Pratt. 

1868. 

Mrs.  Jennie  R.  Buck, 
Mrs.  Fannie  G.  Wilder. 

1869. 

Miss  Mary  G.  Blake, 
Miss  Endora  E.  Pitcher, 
Mrs.  Lizzie  C.  Richardson. 


1870. 
Miss  A.  M.  Hawes. 

1871. 

Mrs.  Mary  N.  Chamberlain, 
Mrs.  Celestine  D.  Southwick, 
Mrs.  Julia  T.  Pearl. 

The  classes  of  the  following 
are  unknown: 

Mrs.  E.  R.  Aiken, 
Miss  Lilley  A.  Brooks, 
Miss  Miranda  L.  Eaton, 
Miss  Emma  B.  Forbes, 
Miss  Lucille  Hill, 
Miss  Helen  L.  Mellen, 
Mrs.  N.  J.  Newcomb, 
Mrs.  Caroline  M.  Plumber,* 
Mrs.  J.  H.  Robinson, 
Miss  Anna  M.  Simmons, 
Mrs.  Catherine  Stearns, 
Miss  Mary  L.  Stimpson, 
Mrs.  E.  A.  Woodbury, 
Miss  Martha  Worcester. 

*  Deceased. 


University  of 
Connecticut 

Libraries 


